The Memory Jumper
by The Geek Historian
Summary: Abby's imaginary friend turns out to be more than just imaginary. As Her world is turned upside down she realizes that her "dreams" are more realistic and these dreams are preparing her for her ultimate destiny.
1. Chapter 1

PROLOGUE

I sit across from her in the dirt. Me, in a navy blue winter coat and black snow boots, while she is wearing a sleeveless yellow dress and white sandals with the buckle on the side. We both sit cross-legged and draw pictures in the dirt with a stick. We look alike. Both have long black hair and brown eyes. The only difference is that she has almost pale white skin and I have brown skin.

"Why are you wearing a coat?" she asks in a strange accent.

"Because it's snowing where I'm from." I reply.

"Well, it's not here."

"I know." I say shrugging out of my coat. The hat came off a while ago with the wool mittens. "Where are we anyways?" I ask looking around me.

"My yard." She replied not looking up from her picture.

"Where's that at?"

"In Mississippi."

"Misississi.." I try pronouncing it.

"Mississippi, silly." She says chuckling.

"Never heard of it." I reply scrunching my forehead trying to silently say the word but can't.

"Where are you from?"

"Colorado." I said.

"Never heard of it."

"We live near the mountains. They're really beautiful this time of year with all the snow on them." I said trying to describe what Colorado looks like.

"Never seen snow before. Is it really that beautiful?" she asks looking up at me.

"You never seen snow before?!" I shout, big round eyes staring at her in disbelief. She just shook her head.

"Wow!" Was my only response. We both sit in silence working on our dirt masterpieces. It wasn't uncomfortable or anything like that. It almost felt like we both know what the other is thinking or doing.

"Do you have any sisters or brothers?" I ask.

"No."

"Me either."

"One day I will have a sister. She'll be very pretty and smart." She said.

"How do you know that?" I asked looking at her.

"I saw it." She said knowingly.

"How?" I ask again.

"I just do. I can see when it will rain too." She shrugs and watches for my reaction.

"Wow. That's neat!" I said. She smiles back.

"You really think so?"

"Yep. Wish I had something like that."

At that moment, my momma came out from the woods walking towards us. She did not look happy either. We both stand and wait for her to approach. Momma was looking from her to me. I stand there chewing my bottom lip and pulling on my fingers, knowing that I was in trouble for not staying the yard with Lucky Boy, our dog.

"Abigail Anne, I told you to stay in the yard." She scolded.

"Sorry momma." I say looking down at my feet.

"You had me scared. I didn't know if you ran off or was taken."

"Sorry." I whispered, still looking down.

"It's okay ma'am, I was with her the whole time. I won't let anything happen to her, promise." She said looking at momma without fear. Wish I could do that.

"Thank you Mary Alice. I hope you do." Momma said. With that, she grabs my coat and hand, and we walk back into the woods. I turn and wave to Mary Alice.

"Hope to see you again." I said over my shoulder.

"You will." Mary Alice said smiling and waving back at me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Two things struck me as strange as I recall that memory. One, why did my "imaginary" friend seem real and how did my mother know her name when I just met her…or imagined her? Things to ponder as I stand here working on a table of dress shirts.

Working in retail has its ups and downs, mostly downs. For one, I realize that people are so messy when they shop. How hard is it to put something back from where you got it? Apparently, parents don't teach their children that anymore. Second, they have no sense of keeping things in an orderly fashion. They find something on the bottom of a stack and have to destroy the whole stack, and the one next to it, to get their size and leave everything as is. It's not that hard to straighten a pile of shirts you destroyed in the first place. Most times, when I see the work cut out for me; I want to hang myself with a tie. I even picked one out to do it.

Of all the departments in the store, I have to be stuck in probably the worst department, Men's dress shirts. I also have basics (tee shirts and underwear), but I don't mind that one at all. The only consolation is looking at the pictures on the packages and wishing there were actual men that looked like that around here, which there weren't. I've looked.

I've been working in dress shirts for three days, making it look as good as I could get it. In other words, I have been slaving away making the shirts look as immaculate as I possibly can. Have a small, in my opinion, case of OCD. Others tell me it's not small by any means. What can I say, I hate having the shirts out of order; whether it be size or color in any way, shape or form. I also, hate having the truck team run the shirts because I know they will not put them in the right spot or size them in. I'm that way. However, they don't mind that I run the shirts myself. They hate working on them.

That being said, the regional vice president is coming down for a visit. They've only been saying that for about four months and we keep coming in early every time he announces his visit only to be told that something came up and he can't make it. In my own opinion, I think he should make an unannounced visit to see what the store really looks like. How everyone struggles to do five peoples worth of work and no hours to do them in. Then, he may consider giving us the budget to hire more people and/or hours to do our work. Just saying.

Going back to my imaginary friend, Mary Alice. Shortly after our first meeting…or my first time imagining her, my mom handed my off to my aunt to be raised. Never saw her again. No idea what happened or why she decided to bail on me but it turned out okay. When I was 10 my aunt officially adopted me and I became a MacFadyn and went from an only child to having five brothers and one sister.

Am I upset that mom never wanted me, yes! Do I wonder why she left in the first place, of course! Who wouldn't want to know the reason their parent left.

My dad died the year before all this happened. Car accident. Drunk driver decided to use the wrong lane going home after a whole night binge. That is the reason why I don't drink alcohol. Hate having no control over my emotions or self-control period. I have little memory of him. The only thing that I do remember is that he loved swinging me through the air and shouting, "Incoming," before putting me on the ground and then watching me stagger around trying to get my balance, laughing that whole time.

When I started seeing Mary Alice, we would always talk about what we wanted to do when we grew up, that or about our families. True to her word, she had a baby sister when she was ten years old. Even showed her off to me once, before her mom came out and scolded her for bringing the baby out of the house without supervision.

When mom left me, I went to see Mary Alice and cried my eyes out, hoping that momma would come back for me. Mary Alice did her best to console me and kept telling me everything would work out in the end. I owed her so much back then. If it wasn't for her, I have no idea what I would have done. Even my new family didn't believe that I had an imaginary friend but were okay with her trying to help me get past my issues, which were a lot. Even now, I still have some to overcome. OCD anyone.

As we got older, we confided in each other about the boys we had crushes on. She always told me there was a boy out there lost and that she was going to help find him one day and that they would be together. By this time, I knew enough about her that she was probably right. However, as much as I wanted to know about her life, she seemed to always evade my questions and redirect the conversations back on me.

She wanted to know about my family and if I was getting along with them. I was doing okay with all my siblings except for one brother. He never warmed up to me being a part of the family and has told me so on may occasions, mostly around the holidays. If the other brothers were around they told him off. It was a relief when he finally moved out. I always felt on edge whenever he was around. To me, something wasn't right with him. Even when he came home to visit, I would make myself disappear until he left.

Other things we talked about was my love for history. She was very interested in some of the stuff I had witnessed. I only vaguely wonder where she was during all these events I described but figured she was imaginary and wouldn't know what's going on in the world. On the other hand, she would give detailed events about what she knew and it was interesting to listen to her talk about early twentieth century history as if she was living it herself. Almost makes me feel like I'm witnessing it myself as she retells the time about Franz Ferdinand being shot and the world was on edge in the aftermath and the talk of war spreading rapidly. Of course, I know that it became a world war and eventually the US would get involved towards the end, but it was fascinating to hear her interpretation of what happened.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It wasn't until my first year of college when things took a turn for the worse. For Mary Alice, not me. Granted it was the first time I was away from home and on my own. But, home was only an hour's drive south. My choice of college was the University of Colorado in Boulder. Far way enough to do my own thing, but close enough to call for help when I needed. I only hope I didn't need it.

One night while visiting my best friend, I realized that she was in serious trouble. When I arrived I wasn't in our favorite spot near the woods or her backyard but in a small dark room. To say it was small would be an understatement. My dorm room was bigger than this. It looked more like a cell than a room.

Trying to get my bearings and figure out where I am, I tried to keep my fear at bay when I heard her behind me. Looking around I stared gaping at the sight before me. This wasn't my Mary Alice. This person was a small feeble being close to death. My friend was a vibrant spunky teen close to an engagement to a boy we've known since we were little kids. Of course, he wasn't her dream guy. I'm not sure he even exists. Some boy named Jasper.

I walked to her bed and trying to keep my gag reflex from kicking in I lower myself onto the bed. I raise my hand to her but am afraid that I may hurt her and place it in my lap. Her hair had been chopped off. What was once a long mane of dark brown hair is now a mess of different sized pieces sticking up at odd ends all over her head. I close my eyes and try to keep the tears from coming. I open them again when a cold hand cups my face and I look back at her.

"Don't look that way, please." She croaks. Her voice even seems small and fragile. Placing my hand over hers I try to ask what happened but she beat to it.

"It seems my visions have caught up to me. I told my father one too many times what would happen and this is my reward." She said.

"What happened? Why didn't you tell me this was going to happen? I could've done something to prevent this from happening." I pleaded. Shaking her head and lays her hand back down on the bed, she says,

"There was nothing you could have done to prevent this from happening Abigail. I saw that, no matter what you did, the outcome would have been the same." Shaking my head I try to explain to her that I could have helped her. She was a figment of my imagination anyway.

"You still believe that I'm not real, do you?" She asks.

"You've been with me since we were kids. It's kinda hard not to believe it being anything else." I replied.

Getting a better look at her now that my eyes have adjusted to the dark, I see that her eyes have that hollow look to them, sunken in and glazed over. It seems like she's been through the ringer and came out the other side not doing too well. I'm racking my brain about what to do. If this is just a figment of my imagination, I could just snap my fingers or something and change the whole outcome, right?

"Please don't." she pleaded again. "Just be here for me. It won't be much longer now." Grabbing me by the wrists with a grip stronger than I thought she had, she forced me to look her in the eyes and continued.

"I have seen this happening for a while and nothing I have done could have prevented it from happening. It was meant to be. Don't be sad for me. Be happy that I'm about to have a new beginning and a better life than I do now." She stopped and was taking deep breaths to regain her strength. It was as if, just talking a little was taking the strength out of her.

"What do you mean by a new beginning? I don't understand." I said. I was hoping that she wouldn't be going to a place we both knew and talked about, especially lately when I came to visit.

"No. I'm not dying. At least, I don't think that's what is going to happen." She replied. "I know that it will be something new and different for me. I'm not sure what it will entail, but I know this how it's suppose to be."

"Why does it have to be this way?" Finally believing her. My shoulders slump and I lower my head knowing what this will mean for me. I'm losing my best and only friend.

"I don't know that answer anymore than you do. It just is."

Again, she cups my face and forces me to look at her.

"I need you to just be here for me. Please don't let me explain anymore than that." Nodding my head I grab her other hand and blow on it to warm it up.

"What books do you like to read?" I asked.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Over the next week I visit Mary Alice every night. Needless to say, my studying took a back seat and my grades were beginning to show for it. Mom and dad were getting worried that I was falling back into my old habit of distancing my self from everyone. I assured them that it wasn't that and I was helping a friend in need and promised that I would work really hard to get them up.

I found out that she was in an institution for the mentally insane. Made no sense to me, considering she seemed more lucid and sane than any other person I know. I also found out that she's been having electro shock therapy to help with the visions. It made me sick to my stomach at how many times she was getting those treatments, if you want to call them that. They even left marks on the sides of her head from all the times she had her brain fried.

When I did visit I made sure I had my hoodie and an extra blanket for her. The cell, as I called it, had no heat and no ventilation and I was forced to ignore the smell that was coming from her room and the others around her. I had also made it my duty to read to her every time I came. It help to pass the time and for me to catch up on reading the classics.

So far, I have read _The Time Machine_ and _The Invisible Man_ by H.G Wells, _Alice in Wonderland_ by Lewis Carroll. Right now, I'm in the middle of _Hound of the Baskervilles_ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, one of my favorites. Never knew the classics could be so good. I would read so late into the night that I would lose my voice and have to stop. At those times, I would just sit there holding her head in my lap and stroking her hair.

By the second week I noticed a significant change in her. I have no idea how long she's been in this place and wonder if I can sneak her out and help her get better. The first night I noticed that she didn't talk much other than saying hello. It wasn't till two nights later that I realized that she had no memory of me. Heartbroken, I explained to her that I was a friend and there to keep her company. From that night on, I had to repeat myself, sometimes more than once a night.

When I went to see Mary Alice on the fourth night, I wasn't in the hospital, or institution but in a forest. No idea if I was still in Mississippi or some other state. Looking around and getting my bearings I saw nothing but bushes and trees. It was daylight but I have no idea what time of day it was with all the green around. It struck me as odd considering that it was night when I came to see Mary Alice.

Off in the distance I heard a loud noise. It almost sounded like two boulders colliding and a lot of rustling of leaves. Standing stock still I strained to hear the noise coming from my right. Something about that noise made me want to take off and go home but I had to find Mary Alice and help her if I can. Turning away from the noise I made my way around a bush and walked slowly, I don't want to alert those making the noise where I am, to the clearing.

After getting scratches all over my arms and twigs stuck in my hair and clothes I made it to the clearing and found no one there. Looking around for any sign of anyone or anything and came up with nothing I again stood still listening to my surroundings. The noises were moving away and it seems that it took with it any sign of nature, not that I would be surprised. I would take off and hide too if I heard those noises.

After a few more minutes I had a sudden urge to go to my right again and took off that way. After going through another batch of bushes and getting whacked in the head with a branch I came across a smaller clearing with branches and leaves on the ground. Wishing I had my headlamp with me I knew I was getting close to her but can't describe the feeling of knowing this. I found her lying in the middle of a third clearing and pretty much tripped over her legs and caught myself on a branch hanging over her. If it hadn't been for my clumsiness I would never have found her. Guess I could count on that to get me what I wanted.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

After balancing myself I look down and see her laying out in a batch of leaves like a bed. It made my hear stop. She wasn't moving. I knelt down and grabbed her wrist checking for a pulse and barely felt one. I then went to her neck to see if I can feel one there and still barely felt one. Not to mention, she was ice cold. I cupped her face and pleaded to God to bring her back to me. I repeated her to open her eyes and look at me.

After several times I finally lowered her head and cradled it in my lap and cried for, what felt like a lifetime. Rocking back and forth while stroking her head, I sit there telling her how sorry I was for getting there too late to save her and wishing we could go back to happier times. Hours passed when I felt for her pulse again and found nothing. I grabbed her wrist and still felt nothing. Pressing my forehead to hers I asked for forgiveness one last time and gently laid her head on the ground.

Looking at what she was wearing, I took off my hoodie and laid it over her as best as I could. She still had the institution's gown on and it was torn in several places. I then took off my locket and placed it around her neck and tucked it underneath the gown. It was originally my great grandmother's locket and was passed down to me. It still had her picture in it from the middle 1920s. Kissing her forehead one more time and stroking her hair from her face, what was left of it, I stood and walked away. I know I need to go to the nearest town and report a dead body in the woods. I just hope I could leave a detailed enough letter telling the police where Mary Alice's body is.

Twelve years later and that moment still haunts my dreams. It's not everyday when you can remember losing your best "imaginary" friend that way. I wonder if everyone kills off his or her friend that way. Still working on the same dress shirt table, I look at my watch and realize that only fifteen minutes have passed. Deciding it's time to take a break I make my way to the elevator and the third floor break room for a snack. Waiting another five minutes for the elevator to arrive I start organizing the rest of my day.

After work, I have to finish my book analysis for class tonight and hit the library for more research. Such is the life of a grad school student. I am the first person in my family to get this far in school. I want to be the first to go all the way and get my Ph D too. What would I do with it? The possibilities are countless. Biggest dream is to work in the Smithsonian or the National Archives.

Apparently, my family went there when I was a kid, around the time Mary Alice came into being. The only memory I have of D.C is seeing the Spirit of Saint Louis, Lindenburgh's plane, and seeing the Lincoln Memorial. Now, imagine a four year old staring up at the statue of Lincoln and thinking that is how big he is in real life. That was me. I did not know that it was only a statue of a very important man. I'm sure all four year olds think the same thing.

In the meantime, I'm stuck in Colorado Springs, going to school and working my way out of this town. Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this city. Waking every morning and seeing those beautiful Rocky Mountains glowing purple and then in the evening watching the sky turn all shades of yellow, gold, red and pink. Stunning! Why would I want to leave this place? Because there's not much that happens her. Not to mention, the kind of history I want to study isn't here, its back east. After spending the better part of a year, I have finally narrowed down my specialization to Early American History, specifically between the American Revolution and the Civil War.

I transferred to the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs after I had a meltdown after Mary Alice died and after graduation, I decided to take a few years off to "recover" from said meltdown. It was that or have one of my brothers move up there to keep an eye on me, which I'm sure one did anyways, but I didn't want them to take time out of their lives to watch me. It was wrong and weird too.

When the elevator arrives (it takes forever to get down two floors), I make the slow rise to the third floor. I would love to take the stairs but, at the moment, I have a messed up knee. Guess it's more than messed up. Found out from my doctor that I need surgery. Have advanced osteoarthritis and the only way to make the pain go away is to anticipate more pain. It's the price I pay for having bad knees since I was ten years old. Waiting for the referral to be accepted and see what that doctor has to say.

Entering the break room I can hear that someone turned Jerry Springer on. Why anyone, in their right mind, would watch this crap is beyond me, but to each their own. On the other hand, watching television on a 52 inch flat screen has its benefits. Taking a seat at a table, one of ten, I noticed that someone left an old copy of Life magazine. The inner history geek in me jumps with glee and I pick it up and flip through it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

After I clocked out for the day I went back into the break room and grabbed my lunch bag and saw that the Life magazine was still sitting on the table. I decided to "borrow" it for a day.

When I got home that night from class and had enough learning about the "Market Revolution" I picked up that magazine and gave it my full attention. Lying on my bed I read article after article in the magazine. It came out shortly after World War II and talked mostly of the boom in the economy and reproduction…of the human kind. One article talked about a diner in Pennsylvania where it's regulars were veterans that came in and talked about their experiences overseas.

Reading that article reminded me of my grandfather. He fought in that war. Was on Omaha beach during the D-Day invasion and helped liberate a concentration camp. He never talked about it and I don't blame at all. Can't imagine the horrors he witnessed during his time in Europe. I even remember seeing an article with a picture of him, on crutches, walking out of a POW hospital in Belgium. When mom asked him about it he only said that it was in the past and didn't want to discuss it any more.

Feeling a headache coming on, I laid the magazine down next to me and covered my eyes with my right arm. I heard the front door open and close and a set of keys jangling around. The footsteps coming down the hall and stopping at my door alerted me to my roommate looking in on me.

"Another headache." It was a statement and not a question. I peeked from under my arm and saw Jamie standing there, hair ruffled and book bag slung over one shoulder. I nod and cover my eyes again.

Jamie is a good-looking young man. I say young because he is only 9 years younger than I am. He stands at six two and a hundred and seventy pounds, soaking wet. Lean, but not too lean. His light brown hair is always a mess, especially if he lets it grow past his ears, the curls making it impossible to have any kind of control over his head. His baby blues seems to take in everything around him. He's very alert and attentive to his surroundings. Guess that's what abuse does to you when you're a kid.

If you're getting the idea that we are a couple then get that thought out of your head now. He's more of another brother than a love interest. We met in the library, where else? He's in his junior year in college. He was going for a degree in economics but switched in his sophomore year to psychology. He figured that his experience with a traumatized childhood could benefit him in helping those with similar experiences. He has taken it upon himself to help me with my issues. I find it humorous that he's even attempting to do this where others have failed. Have to hand it to him for his assertiveness.

"You know Chief, you should…" I cut him off with a wave of my hand to stop. Sometimes his advice is a little…nonconventional. Not to mention, my nickname. I told him once that my maternal grandfather was a Native American Indian and traditional chief of his tribe. Knowing that, he thinks I should become the Chieftess of the tribe. Which tribe he's talking about I have no idea. Don't have any contact with that side of the family.

"Please hear me out." He insisted. Peeking under my arm again, I let him continue.

"Taking pain meds could probably help with your headaches." He said.

"They don't work so why bother?" I asked. It's true. Have taken everything from Extra Strength Tylenol to Oxycodone. Nothing worked. Had all sorts of tests done and nothing out of the ordinary was revealed.

"It could take the edge off." He replied. "Maybe you could take some PM to help you sleep and it'll ease off by morning."

"I'll think about it." And waved him off. I heard his footsteps getting faint and assumed he taken my advice.

At some point after our conversation, I had fallen asleep. Still in my clothes, work clothes at that, I had the most vivid dream since the time of Mary Alice. One moment I was in my room, the next I was standing in a diner. An old fashion one at that. Looks like the one I saw in the Life magazine I read that day.

My mouth fell open as I looked around. Everything looked authentic all the way down to the jukebox that played an old bluesy song. One I have never heard before. The red vinyl booths with their high back seats looked odd to me. Even the tables with the metal edges gave it an otherworldly aura and the matching stools that ran along a thirty-foot counter. The red and whitecheckered curtains made the diner complete.

Walking up to the counter and taking a seat on a stool I was captivated by the old fashioned register with its push button keys that operated the drawer and pop up total. I remember my dad had a register similar to this one. Us kids would play with it until the keys no longer worked. I can't imagine how much an antique like that would cost now.

Still looking around, I noticed that a group of men were seated at a table in the corner, just like the article said. They all seemed a little rough around the edges and seemed oblivious to me. It almost seemed that they had no idea I was in the same space as they are. No one looked up at me or even acknowledged I was in the diner as they were. It didn't bother me in the least. I was too awed by my surroundings to pay them much attention either.

On the counter was a stack of paper. I grabbed one and looked at it. It was a menu of the dishes the diner made and the prices of each one. Once again my jaw dropped. Looking at the menu, I saw that it only cost ten cents to get a coke. For a hamburger and fries added, I could get all three for under a dollar. I doubt there's a place in the country that offers dinner prices that cheap.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

As I continued to gape at the menu, the door opened and closed causing a bell to tinkle. The stool next to me swiveled and someone sat down. Ignoring them for a moment, figuring that they would ignore me, I stared at the menu. It was getting difficult to ignore the person because her perfume was strong and appealing. Never smelled anything like it.

"Hello." Said a voice that sounded like a wind chime. Looking up I saw the girl sitting next to me and looked into the strangest eyes I have ever seen. They were gold, almost liquid like and drew anyone in with just one look. Her skin was a pale white but was perfect. Not a scar or blemish could be seen. Her raven hair was short and stuck out at all angles. Something about her appearance reminded me of someone familiar. I quickly dismissed that thought and continued staring at her. It was rude by I couldn't help it.

When I didn't respond, she raised a perfect brow and continued smiling.

"Oh…uh…hi." I said awkwardly.

Going back to the menu, I flipped it over and looked at the side orders and desserts. From the corner of my eye I saw that she was taking in my appearance. Granted I wasn't dressed for success by any means. Still had on the clothes I went to work in this morning. Didn't have time to change before going to class and fell asleep in them. So, I can imagine what I look like now.

"My name is Alice." She said taking her lace-covered gloves off and placing them on the counter. Even her movements were graceful.

"Hi Alice." I said without looking up. I know it was rude but I am really uncomfortable meeting new people, especially ones who look like a Goddess'. It was a self defense mechanism. If I push them away then they wouldn't talk to me and I will be saved from being rejected later on. Something I learned at a young age. However, this was a dream and I might as well play along. It's not like I will remember it when I wake up anyway.

"I'm Abby." Smiling back. Her smile got bigger and I can see the twinkling in her eyes as she leaned against the counter.

"Your not from around here are you?"

"Uh, no...I'm not." I replied. I don't even know where here is, but I don't remember a diner looking like this in the Springs, so apparently I wasn't there.

"I thought so."

Going back to the menu and fidgeting under her scrutiny, I stared chewing on my the inside of my cheek. Deciding to take the plunge and ask where we are, the cook came out from the kitchen. He was a big man, well over six-five and weighed at least 300 pounds. He had small beady eyes and short blond hair that hid under a white hat. His white tee shirt was stained with grease from cooking.

"Hey there sweetheart." He said with a gruff voice. "Will it be the usual?"

"Of course, Mac. Why stray from tradition!" Alice stated, giving the cook, Mac, a knowing smile.

"What will your cute little friend have?" Giving me a once over and liking what he saw. My brows shot up into my bangs at his bluntness. Looking over at Alice and she was giving me a mischievous smirk at their joke.

"Uh. I'm not very hungry. Thanks though." I stated, trying not to blush and failing miserably.

"Go ahead pick something, I got it." Alice insisted.

"Okay." I said picking the menu back up and glancing over it once more.

"The prices are..." before I can finish the sentence, Mac started barking back.

"What about the prices? Are they too high? Those are the best prices around, kiddo." He rattled off. Kiddo! I haven't been called that in about ten years. I know I look young for my age, but still.

"Oh no." I said, "The prices are very reasonable. Haven't seen anything this cheap in a long time." Trying to appease the hulk of a man.

"Calm down Mac and let her chose." Alice said defensively.

Grumbling Mac walked down the length of the counter and grabbed a cup and filled it with ice and held it under the fountain machine. Dark soda came pouring out filling the cup up to the brim. Fascinated, I smiled at what was taking place down at the other end of the counter. Never seen a soda fountain like that before. Following my gaze, Alice looked at Mac and then me.

"You really aren't from around here." She stated. I shook my head and looked at her instead of the cook.

"I've never seen a soda fountain like that before." I said nodding at the contraption. She looked at that and then me again giving me a disbelieving look.

"Where are you from?" interest in her voice.

Looking at her I said, "out west." Not giving too much information away. Don't want to sound stupid and say where I'm from in case we are in Colorado Springs, but in a different time, which is starting to dawn on me. I had to think on that one for a while, but not now.

"Really." Alice said. Her eyes glazed over for a second and refocused on me. Smiling she said, "What's it like in Colorado?"

Thrown completely, I gape at her. How in the world did she know that? Blinking several times and trying to get my brain back on track, Alice sits there and waits patiently for me to respond, still smiling, like she was expecting this.

"How did you know I was from Colorado?" I ask dumbfounded.

"I just do."

I was suddenly taken back to a different time and person who said the exact same thing. Shaking my head I close my eyes and try to focus on the now and this person. Something tells me that this is a newer and perfect version of my imaginary friend, Mary Alice.

"Are you okay?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice and eyes.

Looking up at her I notice that the other patrons look over at us wondering if something bad is about to happen and they don't want to miss a thing.

"No." I replied, "You remind me of someone I once knew." Swallowing hard I try not to let her know how much it hurt to think of my best friend is.

"I was thinking the same thing. You look familiar somehow." It was her turn to stare at the counter.

"Well, Baby Doll, did you pick something?" Mac barked making me jump. Baby Doll!

"Um. I'll just have a Coke for now. Thank you!" I said.

"We have Pepsi only." He stated.

"Even better." Was never a fan of Coke anyway.

"Don't worry, he calls all the girls that." Alice said as Mac went back down the counter to fill my order.

"Oh. It's just weird hearing it." I said.

Really?" Alice asked intrigued. "Tell me more." She seems just as enthusiastic as Mary Alice was when I talked about my life. Quit thinking about that!

"Well, I don't hear much of that," pointing to Mac, "where I live."

"Really!"

"Yeah." I said. How do I explain the slang of our time to someone from her time? Pondering how I'm gonna explain to Alice the difference in slang she points to my shirt.

"What does door to floor mean, by the way?" she asked amused by the words stitched on my shirt. Looking at it, I look at her and explain.

"It's just something I do at my job. The company named the department that works in unloading the truck of clothes and such and getting it ready to take to the floor and organizing it in a way the appeals to the customer." I also never knew how hard it was to explain something to someone not in retail and speak retail language. Boy, maybe I should become more familiar with the different decades and how they talk before dreaming about them.

"Interesting." She mused. "So, you work in fashion?"

"Um. Not really. Well, maybe." I have no idea what she means by that.

"I work in a retail store." I said. She looks at me to continue.

"It's a clothing store…and we also sell small appliances." I explain.

"What kind of small appliances?"

"You know, coffeemakers, blenders and mixers. That kind of stuff." I said.

"Hmm. Interesting." She nods at this revelation. "What is the name of this retail store you work at?" Knowing that JCPenney's has been around since 1903 I know, at least I hope, it has made its way this far east.

"JCPenney's." I state with a since of pride. May not be too proud of some the places I have worked but JCPenney's isn't one of them.

"Well, I just have to go have a look for myself and see what they have." She announced.

"Oh. And, they do have a catalog where you can order stuff through too." I said, remembering that the catalog was very popular throughout its history.

"They probably have more stuff in there than in the store."

"Okay. Thanks for telling me."

We sit there in silence for a bit mulling over what was just said. I was getting ready to ask some questions about her when all of a sudden I got a flashing pain that ripped through my head and made me see white streaks of light. I must have cried out because I felt cool hands grab my arms and asked if I was okay. Groaning I rub my forehead and straightened up and tried to get everyone to calm down.

"I'm okay. Just got a stabbing pain in my head is all." I tried to ease everyone's fears but most likely failed.

"Really, I'm okay now." The pain was easing off and I barely felt anything now.

Mac went back to work but kept giving me sideway stares making sure I don't have another "episode." Alice never took her hand off my arm. Concern written all over her face.

"Seriously, Alice. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Still not convinced. Nodding I took a sip of my drink then licked my lips. It tasted different than what I'm used to Pepsi tasting. Something was different but a good different. Can't place my finger on it, but I liked it nonetheless. Taking a bigger swallow, I smack my lips and smile at Alice.

"Please tell me you have at least had soda before." Alice stated looking at me, a crease between her eyes.

"Of course, I have, just not this good before. It tastes different in Colorado." I replied. Raising her brow again, she gave me a pointed look to continue.

Sighing, I said, "Look, I know I probably look like a weirdo to you, but things are…different where I live." Still looking at me I roll my eyes. How do I explain to someone that things are different in the future? Ha! Future. Imagine that. I can time travel. I think…

Feeling the pressure start to build again in my head I do the only thing to save myself from telling her what I am capable of.

"Um. I'll be right back. Gotta use the restroom."

Getting up to find the restroom. I look to Alice to give me directions. Since she knows this place better than I do, she pointed to the far end of the counter and said it was around the corner. Walking that way I passed the table of men talking and heard one yell out, "Hey Cookie, why don't you come over here and cool down with me for a bit."

Looking over at him I gape and continued to the restroom. As I turned the corner I looked back down the counter and saw Alice giggling at the comment I just received. What in the world did that guy just ask me? Cookie?

Walking into the bathroom, I closed the door and looked around. The light was already on. At least, it was clean. It had a towel rack with clean; they looked clean, white towels and a washcloth. The sink was an average sized sink, oval with small silver handles and facet. Happy with what I was seeing I started for the toilet, but before I reached it, I had another flash of pain.

I squeezed my eyes shut willing the pain to go away. I heard Alice on the other side of the door demanding I unlock it but I couldn't. The edges of my eyesight were getting fuzzy and I felt my body lose control. The room began to tilt and before I hit the floor, I blacked out completely.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

I jerk awake, partly because the feeling of falling and partly because my alarm was going off. It's that feeling of falling in your dream and you jerk before you hit the bottom. Hate it when it happens. Rolling over, I hit the snooze button on the alarm and realize it's six o'clock. Groaning, I lay back on the pillow. The remnants of a headache still there, I covered my head like I did last night and thought about the dream I had.

It felt so real. I can even taste the Pepsi I had. My alarm sounded again and jerked me from my thoughts. Hitting the button again, I sat up and immediately regretted it. The room tilted to one side and then the other. Groaning I flopped back down and swallowed, trying to keep the bile rising from getting any further than it already was. My whole body felt like it's been hit by a semi. Every muscle hurt.

There was a soft knock on the door and Jamie opened it enough to stick his head in. He took one look at me and grimaced.

"You look like crap, Chief." He said, but it sounded like he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Wincing, I said, "I feel like it too."

I sat back up and realized that I was still wearing the clothes I had on from yesterday. The room had finally quit moving and swallowed. The nausea was gone too.

"Are you gonna go in to work?" he said giving that look like I should just call off and go back to sleep. I did want to go back to sleep. However, I had stuff I needed to do and calling off work was not one of them.

"Would love to call out but have that stupid visit tomorrow. I don't think they would be too happy if I did." Crawling off the bed and made my way to my bathroom. I undressed and started the shower. Hopefully, that will make all the aches go away.

An hour later, I was clocking in and still felt like crap. The shower didn't do its trick and I know I'm going to pay for it. My head was throbbing and every movement was made with a struggle. Had several co-workers tell me that I didn't look right and one wondered why I was there. I wondered that too. Checking to see if the new set sell planner was out yet (it wasn't) I made my way to the slow moving elevator and down to the dreaded dress shirts. Hopefully, I could get out of them today, but with the way I was moving I doubt that would happen.

Waiting for the elevator to arrive, I pressed my forehead against the metal frame to the elevator. The coolness felt good against my heated skin. Wondering if I'm running a fever and from the aches I'm having, I wouldn't be surprised. Hearing movement behind me I turn my head, still pressed to the metal frame, and see the store manager looking at me with concern. I'm starting to feel like everyone is doing that lately.

"Abby what are you doing here?" she asks assessing me and not liking what she sees.

Frances, or as I call her sometimes Boss, is a woman that doesn't take crap from anyone. She could hand your ass to you and you wouldn't even know it happened. Her smoky blue eyes seem to see everything and analyze as much. She has a quick wit and even quicker temper. You don't want to be on the receiving end of one of her rants. You'll walk away with a piece of your body missing. Believe me, I've been there.

With all that said, she is one of the most honest and caring people I know. She really wants to see people succeed and has no problem helping them get to where they want to be in the company or in life in general. Her knowledge of the company and what it takes to be a great team leader, she can do it and has done it several times.

Before she took over the store, we were next to last in the district in sales and credit apps. The morale was at rock bottom and people were quitting right and left. It took her the better part of a year to get the store up to some sort of standard. It took another year to make it the best store in the district and region, which has about five hundred stores. It wasn't without some, more like a lot, of complaining along the way. When we saw what she was doing and making the store look the best it has looked in years, we were all on board.

I loved it. For one, I hate shopping! I would rather be sticking bamboo shoots between my nails than shop, for anything. When I do shop, everything has to be in some sort of order. If I walk up to a table, it has to be at least sized. I don't want to spend time looking through it finding my size. Second, I mentioned before that I have OCD. Everything should be in its proper place and colorized and sized. I do not like anything being out of order. It drives me crazy when I do see something that is out of place. My hands itch to make it look right. And, that's not just with my store. Any store I walk into, I have an urge to straighten up a fixture.

So, when she told me to size everything in my areas I almost hugged her. Finally, someone who gets what I see and what I need. Also, I think the customer loves it too because the sales picked up as we were transitioning to the better look. I was trying to get my areas looking that way but the old store manager said to put the merchandise out as fast as possible, without any other details. I cringe just thinking about that and how the whole store looked like a second hand store than a top rated one.

"Need to get my areas up to par for the visit." I mumble, moving my head to a different spot on the elevator frame. It felt good, really good.

The elevator doors opened and out flew an associate, apparently running late for work. She came to an abrupt stop when she saw the Boss. Frozen with fear, she awaited the punishment she knew she would be getting. I walked into the elevator getting out of the line of fire but nothing happened. The Boss walked in and before the doors closed she told the associate to not make a habit of being late.

I gave her a sideways looks. She crossed her hands in front of her and I saw a small smile forming.

"What?" she asked looking at me.

Shaking my head and immediately regretted it I said, "Nothing. Thought you were gonna give her the third degree."

"We've been through a lot this past week getting ready for the visit. We all deserve a little leeway." Still staring at her she continues, "So, I've been a little hard on everyone these last two weeks."

"A little?" I asked.

"Fine. A lot. It's the first time the store looked this great and I want the big wigs, as you guys call them, to be impressed."

"Okay." I said. "Your right too. I haven't seen the store look this good before." I admitted.

Stepping out of the elevator I made my way through the drapery department and headed to the dress shirts. Surprised to see the Boss walking with me I stopped and looked at her.

"I want to see where you are in dress shirts." She said still walking.

Catching up with her, I was prepared for her reaction when she walked over there and saw a mess. To my surprise she didn't say anything. Standing on the aisle and looking at the tables closest to her she took in everything. She can be very meticulous at times, more so than I am.

"Tell me what you think is wrong here." She says turning to me. Looking at the tables and walls I see shirts askew.

"The wall is a mess, especially the clearance. The oxfords need to be filled in and sized again. I can see shirts not folded right and stuffed in the cubes." I said pointing to my right.

"I haven't even touched the back row of tables." Those tables were the worst. I haven't had time to get to those tables in a couple of weeks. "The ties needs to be straighten and filled in. There are a couple boxes in the stockroom that needs to be worked in too."

Turning back to Frances, I wait for her assessment. Mulling this over, she crosses her arms and looks at the wall and the ties. Walking away from me a few steps she takes in the Van Heusen tables. Those still look perfect. Wait. They don't. Someone picked one out. Frowning at the stack, Frances follows my stare and looks at the table and laughs.

"People are going to shop this area you know. We can't keep them out of here until after the walk."

"I know." I said still frowning.

"Here's what I want you to do." She says turning back to me. "Go home and get some sleep."

My mouth drops. She. Has. Lost. Her. Mind. I start to protest but she cuts me off with her hand.

"I have never seen dress shirts look this good. Ever!" What? I look at all the opportunities of improvement over here. Why can't she see them too?  
"Abby, relax. Please." She pleads. "I want you to go home and get some rest. Your getting paler by the minute and I really don't want to fill out an accident report the day before the VP gets here. This will still be here tomorrow. And, with the way you work, I have no doubt it will be absolutely perfect before they arrive."

Chewing my upper lip I look back at the department with a sense of defeat. She does have a point. I feel the energy being sapped out of me by the minute. Looking back at Frances I nod and drop my eyes. For some reason, I feel like I'm letting her and the store down. I could be on my deathbed and still try to make in to work. There's always work that needs to be done and right now, I feel like I can't keep up.

"Thank you!" she said and waits for me to make my way back up to the third floor and grab my stuff. "Feel better and be ready to work tomorrow." I nod.

When I got home that day, I shredded my jacket and pants and crawled into bed. After sleeping for six hours I woke long enough to eat and go to the bathroom. Another ten hours have past and, once again, my alarm goes off. Reaching over and turning it off I stretch and get up. I must not have moved all night because my whole left side is sore. Not to mention, it seems every joint in my body is in protest because, as I walk to the bathroom, I can hear popping and creaking coming from every one of them.

After a shower, I make a quick short stop by Sonic and grab a couple of junior breakfast burritos and stuff them before I hit the parking lot of work. As I get to the employee entrance I finished off the second one. Sixteen hours of sleep was what I needed. Don't even have a headache from all the sleep.

Clocking in, I go and check again to see if the set sell is out and it wasn't. Making my way to the dreaded dress shirts, I want to cringe from what I am expecting to see when I get back over there. To my surprise, it looks pretty good. A few rough areas but I should get to them before the visit. I go to the stockroom and place my drink on a shelf and grab my cart and several boxes of shirts I make my way to the wall and attack it with vigor.

I have no idea where the energy has come from but I welcome it. At 9:00 I decide to take a break and walk down to the food court with a couple of other associates for breakfast (second breakfast). The back wall is mostly done and filled in. Still have the clearance wall to work and I know I will be over there for a while.

We get to Chick Fila and are happy that there is no line. They order some chicken biscuits. I get my usual, chicken minis. While waiting for our food I start getting a feeling that someone is watching me. I look around and don't see anyone in the vicinity. We grab our food and start to make our way back to the store. Walking through the food court with all its tables and chairs I can see that several of the old timers sitting at some of them talking. They come here every morning and walk the mall. I hope I don't end up like them when I get that age.

As we make our way to the stairs I look over the second level and stop mid step. My foot is hanging a couple inches off the step and I blink several times and stop breathing. Sitting at a table on the lower level is a familiar face looking back at me. Alice.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

It can't be her. She was in my dream. A dream that seemed freakishly real, right down to the smells. Backing up a couple of steps, I take a good look at her. I know it's rude to stare but I can't help it. She was there, in real life. How is that possible?

She hasn't changed one bit. Staring up at me, she gives me a small smile and nods her head a little. Whether it was for me, or the two people with her, I don't know but it seems like she was acknowledging me. The other two women were sitting across from her so I only saw their backs. They both had long brown hair and similar shaped shoulders. When Alice, I think it was her but it couldn't, they both turned in their seats. The one on the right had the same eye color and pale skin as Alice while the other had big brown eyes. Their facial features were almost identical. It was as if they were sisters.

"Hey, Abby. You coming or not?" The two associates I came with were standing at the top of the stairs looking down at me. Looking back at the trio of women, I turned and ascended the stairs two at a time.

That can't be her! Walking back to the store I mulled over what I just saw. If I did go back in time, which I'm starting to believe more and more, then that would have been sometime in the 1940s. That was, what, sixty something years ago. She looked like she was about 17 or 18 at most, which would mead, she would mostly likely be in her eighties now. Unless, this is her granddaughter or great granddaughter that is sitting in the food court. That would make sense.

Once I got back to the store, I couldn't help but think that the person in the food court was, in fact, Alice. Working the clearance wall, I pulled all the shirts that were unfolded and shoved back in the cubes out and started refolding them. It was more difficult than it normally was considering that I was not paying any attention to what I was doing and kept poking myself with the pin needles.

The corporate people arrived just as the store was opening and were now on the upper level walking it. I got my butt in gear and folded ten shirts in five minutes. I think that was a new record. However, I did poke myself, at least, twice on every shirt.

Two more hours passed and after taking my lunch, Jamie showed up and walking towards me with an energy I never saw before. He's usually a slow mellow kind of guy. That could be why he doesn't get much girls to go out with him. He's too much of a pushover.

"Hey." He said, "Where's your cell? I've been trying to call and text you all morning."

Realizing that I didn't put it in my pocket this morning, I reached for my pocket on reflex and felt that it was empty. I, then, checked all my pockets and realized I was missing my mp3 player too. How could I forget that? Assuming I just left it in my bag, I shrugged it off. I was getting ready to go to lunch and would check it when I reached the third floor.

"How was your interview?" I asked.

He was wearing a white shirt and tie. The tie has different shades of blue that accented his eye color very well. He was trying for an internship with a top rated psychologist in the city and everyone and their uncle was vying for a chance to work with him. His demeanor changed when I asked the question. His shoulders slumped and he frowned.

"I don't think I got it. There were six other people there interviewing for the same position." He shrugged.

"Hey, don't cut yourself short. You have a lot of potential. They just have to see it." I pointed out. "Please tell me you didn't go with your tie like that?"

I reached for him to straighten his tie but he swatted my hand away.

"I'm done for the day." He even went to his tie and loosened it even more.

"What did you want?" I asked when he unbuttoned his top button and stuck a finger there to pull on it more. He was not a shirt and tie person.

"Was just wondering if you were feeling any better and wanted to know where you went the other night." He said.

Where I went the other night?

"I didn't go anywhere. I was in my room reading a magazine." I said giving him a confused look.

"Uh. No you weren't. I went to check on you and you were gone. All the lights were on and everything." He said, " It looked like you just up and left without warning. What gives?"

Looking at him and hearing his words but not really processing them I assumed that my visit to Alice was a dream. Could it be that I was actually there in that diner in 1940 something?

Before I had time to fully process what Jamie said two things happened. One, the corporate people were walking down the main aisle towards me and the dress shirts. I can hear the Boss talking animatedly with them. Apparently, the visit is going good. Looking up at Jamie I can see that something has caught his eye and follow the direction he was looking. Walking towards us on a different, smaller aisle, almost directly across from Frances and the big wigs, was Alice; I think it's her, and the two other girls. Thinking about what Jamie just told me, I'm pretty sure it is but have no idea how it could be her.

Keeping the panic of meeting her, I turn my focus back to Jamie and the visitors…the other ones. He gives me a strange look before staring back at the girls. Right before the Boss walked towards me, I give Jamie a shove and a pointed look when he turned back to me. Before he can say anything, Frances motions me to her and the visitors. Walking towards her, I can see out of my periphery that Alice stopped as well and was looking through the suits department. I can tell she's looking at me as well.

"Abigail, please meet Janine, the Regional Vice President and her assistant John." Janine holds out her hand for me to shake and I just stare at it, then her.

"Sorry." I say, "I'm a germa-phobe."

She only smiles and retracts her hand. Janine stood about five eight, with heels. She had shoulder length blonde hair that curled at the bottom. Her hazel eyes seem to take everything in, and I'm sure she didn't miss a thing. Good thing I busted my butt off getting the shirts looking good.

Janine's assistant, John, was a young guy in his late twenties. He has short spiky brown hair that stood up with enough gel that it glistened in the lights. His brown eyes looked eager to please his boss and I'm sure he did too. Then, there was Mark and Stacy, the district manager and district visual manager that escorted Janine while she was in Colorado. I have no idea how many stores she's hit up the last two days, but I'm sure Mark can't wait till she's gone.

After spending the next twenty minutes talking with them and walking them through my area of responsibilities, I had to tell them what was working and what wasn't when it came to arranging the merchandise. I also had to tell them about the amount of merchandise we have been getting, which wasn't enough on some items. She assured me that they were keeping an eye on the stuff the stores were selling and that they are working on getting the store the right amount. When we got to the end of the men's department they told me how much they like the dress shirts and jeans and that they hadn't seen those areas look so well maintained and orderly. They turned to walk to the home department and to grill the home core standards person. Hope she has an easier time than I did. I felt like they were testing me for something. I'm glad I listened to what the Boss has told me earlier about what they were looking for. I sighed in relief. I hate when we have visits like this.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

Since I was close enough to the lower level dock I darted for the door. Walking through the double swing doors I could see that Alice was trying to get to me before I made it. For some reason, I didn't want to talk to her just yet. I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was able, I think, to go back in time and witness a small part of history in some unknown town. That isn't weird at all.

If I really thought about that, it was really cool that I am able to do that. But, at the moment, I am wondering about my own sanity than anything else right now, if I'm thinking that I can magically go back in time. How I'm able to do that is still a mystery too. How can I just slip through the time rift or whatever it is, and see what life was back then and able to talk to the people? Well, just one really. It seemed like no one knew I was there until Alice walked in and started up a conversation.

I pace the length of the dock pulling on my fingers trying to figure what I did and really start to think back on all the times I have gone back to another time and another place with someone who is freakishly familiar to my current…acquaintance. As I turn and head back towards the freight elevator, Jamie shouts from the front of the stockroom and breaks me out of my thoughts.

"Hey Chief!" He yelled.

Walking away from the freight elevator (it's faster than the other one, but gets stuck more), I head back to the floor. Hopefully, Alice, or whatever her name is, took the hint and left. I could only wish. Walking up an aisle with men's shoes on both sides, sitting on wooden shelves, I reach the end and cautiously look out from the stockroom.

Jamie looks at me with amusement. Smiling he says, "What are you doing?"

Looking around then him, I say, "Nothin."

"Don't worry, she left." He said. "She did give me this to give to you."

He hands me a small bag with tissue paper sticking out. I hesitantly take it. What did she get me?

"She told me to tell you, and I quote, 'I can see your not ready to talk yet and will wait for you when you are. Yes, I'm the one in the diner that you talked to and am excited to finally have found you.'" He stops and clears his throat then continues, "She also says to take a deep breath." He stops to watch me. I just stare back at him waiting to continue.

"Deep breath Chief." He said.

I comply and inhale deeply, then exhale. Helps with the oncoming panic attack I'm about to have. Satisfied with what I did he moves on,

"She also said to don't do anything stupid until we have talked. I, meaning she, has a lot to talk to you about before you make any rash decisions." Happy with himself, he bounces on the balls of his feet and waits for me to say something.

Ignoring him for a minute, I open the bag and pull out two objects and a note. My mouth dropped when I saw what they were. One was a new phone, newer than the one I had. And, the other was a new mp3 player. I looked both of them over and back to Jamie. He just stared, with envy, at my phone.

"I think that's the newest phone out there Chief." He whispered still staring at the phone.

I open the letter and read:

 _Dear Abby,_

 _I glad that we are finally meeting again after all this time. I am very excited and anxious to be seeing you again. I have to admit that you scared me when you left the diner that night. When I opened the door I didn't see you but I did see these two items. It took me a long time to figure out what they were. The music was good and very eclectic. You have a very wide range of music here, I hope you don't mind, but I did add a few of my favorites to your collection._

 _I had no idea what the phone was and was intrigued with it. I spent several years examining it. Sorry, but the years have not been kind to these two things and I have had to replace them. Forgive me for my inability to take care of them. I have also added my phone number along with my family's numbers. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call one of us. We are all excited to meet you and look forward to the chance to reconnect again._

 _Until then, Alice_

Her handwriting is near perfect if not exactly perfect. I read the not over three more times before concluding that my dream wasn't a dream and that I was actually in that diner. Mouth gaping, I looked over at Jamie and saw that he was watching me for any kind of reaction. Looking back at the two items, the panic starts to build again.

I can't believe I left my cell phone and mp3 player there. I hope I didn't mess up some kind of time continuum or something like that. Looking at the player, I see that it has an extra thirty gigs of memory on it. Looking further, I see that has an extra five thousand more songs on there than before. What did she put on there? Deciding to figure that out later I look up to Jamie, still looking at the phone and hand it to him to examine. He takes it with a lot of enthusiasm and starts swiping and pushing keys looking at the screen. I can see his light up as he moves from one app to another.

I raise my hand to the register closest to me and touch the screen to make it wake up. Looking at the time, I point my head to the elevator. I have fifteen minutes left for my shift and knowing the elevator, it'll take that long to get to the bottom.

"So…what was she talking about?" he asked rocking on his heels.

I go to answer him but hesitate. What do I tell him? I saw her in a diner some 70 years ago. Yeah, he'll be the first to dial the mental hospital. I'll be a close second behind him.

"We met at a diner the other night." I said.

"Really? I gathered that when she told me that. What diner Chief? And, why didn't you tell me that in the first place? He asked.

The elevator opened and we stepped in.

"I have no idea what diner." I replied. He just looked at me not believing for one moment what I just said.

Once we got to the third floor I went to my locker and got my jacket out from it and grabbed my bag from underneath the coat rack. I went to clock out and we took to the stairs this time going back down. It would have been too long for the elevator to get back up here and I needed time to figure out what I am going to do. Since the note made it very clear that it was Alice I met then the opened up a whole other box of questions and confused me even more than I am now. How old is she? Who or what is she? And, how did she know where to find me?


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Instead of telling Jamie about my dilemma, I decide to test my theory about time travel first. That in itself is pretty awesome, especially since I love history so much. If this is true, the possibilities are endless. My classes are on spring break and I have a four-day weekend. I push back Alice's note for the time being and concentrate on research.

If I'm being honest with myself, I'm scared to meet her again. Not just meeting her but the thought of her being an old friend of mine really scares the crap out of me. I think about Mary Alice and how she died. The names are merely a coincidence, right? If they are, in fact, the same person, that would put Mary Alice or Alice about a hundred years old, no one lives to be that old and still look like a teenager. Shaking my head at where my thoughts go, I continue on with my current project.

In the background, I hear Jamie watching Titanic. Just listening to the music I know where he is at in the movie. He claims he watches the movies to analyze the characters, but I know better. He has a crush on Kate Winslet. He's watched every movie she starred in…more than once.

That brings me to my current research. To test my theory of time travel, I'm gonna go back and visit Titanic. Yes, I know it sinks and that a lot of people die. But, it's well documented when it goes down. Not to mention, all the passengers on board and a layout of the ship itself. If I can plan it right, I want to go and look around. See what the first class passengers looked like in their fancy pansy getups, and to see if the third class passengers really have an all out party down in bowels of the ship.

After finding a website that has everything I need, I spend the next two hours looking over everything and take notes. I'm so involved in what I'm doing; I don't realize that Jamie is standing behind me reading along with me. I jump when he starts talking.

"Huh. Looks like they did a good job with the costuming."

"Geez Louise, Jamie." I yell as I bang my thighs against the table from jumping.

"Sorry Chief. Thought you knew I was here." He laughs. After a few minutes he calms down to read over my shoulder.

"What are you doing anyway?"

"Just checking out how accurate the movie is to the actual thing." I replied.

My phone starts beeping at me again. It's been doing that all night and I ignore it. Hitting the end button again I lay the phone down next to my laptop and scroll down and continue reading.

"You know she's gonna keep calling or texting you until you answer." He said

"I know. I'm just not ready to talk to her yet." I stated.

"She seems… persistent."

I only nod. She does seem to be.

After muting the phone buzzes four more times, I give in and answer. Before I say hello, she starts talking.

"Don't do it Abby. I know what your planning and please don't follow through."

"How…" she cuts me off.

"You're looking at a website on Titanic and are planning to test your theory. Please don't do it. At least, until we have talked." She replied.

I hold the phone away from me. How did she know that? Looking behind me to see if the patio door curtain was closed, it was. I start looking around the dining room to see if I can see any hidden cameras.

"There are no cameras around you Abby. I just know these things." She whispered.

"You're kinda creeping me out here, Alice." I stated, still looking around me.

"I know Abby, just please, please, please wait until we talk." She begged.

I take a deep breath and close the laptop conceding to her wishes.

"Thank you Abby."

"Yeah, yeah." I replied. "When do you…"

"Tomorrow about noon." She answered.

"You know…"

"Yes. See you tomorrow." She said and hangs up.

That is so annoying.

Getting up from the table to stretch, Jamie makes his way back in with a bowl of cereal.

"So." He said between bites, "She's coming over?"

"I guess." I shrugged.

"Is she bringing those two cuties with her?" he asked wagging his eyebrows.

"I have no idea." I said with exacerbation.

"Oh." His shoulders slump at that.

After finishing his bowl of cereal he goes back to the kitchen and places the bowl in the sink.

"How does she know where we live?" He yells from the kitchen. Probably looking for something else to eat.

That's a good question. How does she know where I live? "No idea." I answer.

Shrugging it off I take off for my bedroom and decide what to do next. I still plan on going back. That's a given. Once in my room I pace the small space between the bed and closet and try to come up with a plan. As one starts to form, I leave my room and walk to the kitchen. Once there, I grab a couple of Ziploc bags, a couple of plastic bags and the saran wrap for safe measure.

Ignoring Jamie's stares, I walk back to the bedroom, I stop at my laptop and grab my notes. I wrote down directions to the third passenger dining area, thinking that is where a party would be held if they had one and where the first class dining area is too. There are other notes there that I think will be useful, but I hope that I don't need them. I just want to get there, look around and get back. Easy enough to do, right?

Back in my room I quickly change out of my work clothes and put on a set of under armor dri fit sports wear. On top of that, I dress in layers. A tee shirt and a long sleeve flannel over that and cargo pants to keep my phone and a camera in each pocket. I empty out my bag and place the stuff I got from the kitchen into, along with a notepad and a few pens.

As I pull out a pair of thick socks I can hear the doorbell ring. Something tells me that it could be Alice trying to stop me. I quickly tie my boots and sling the bag over my shoulder. I hear Jamie talking to Alice. Actually, it sounds more like arguing with her. The door slams open and I hear footsteps coming down the hall. Grabbing my fingerless gloves and a wool beanie, I run to the bathroom and close the door.

Thinking about Titanic, I close my eyes and concentrate on the luxury ship. Clenching my jaw and squeezing my eyes shut, I start to go numb. My fingers are tingling and my torso feels as if it is being pulled away from the rest of my body. I hear the bedroom door bang open and a few footsteps later the bathroom door bangs open. Guess the lock didn't help any.

Just as I am fading out I open my eyes and see a very irate looking Alice reaching out for me. That's when I feel my whole body being jerked and compressed. I seem to blackout for a minute, or an eternity. I have no sense of time. Grunting from the pressure and hoping I don't get stuck like this, I start to panic. But, before I get myself into a real panic attack, everything calms down. As I get my bearings I can smell the ocean and open my eyes. I look around and know that I am standing on the main deck of Titanic.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

Alice's POV

From the moment I opened my eyes to this strange new world, I knew right away something was different. I didn't know at the time how, just that it was. I had no memory of who I was, much less where I was. I looked around and was bombarded by everything. My senses went into overdrive taking in everything around me. I stopped and closed my eyes to stop the influx of information I was gathering. That was when I had my first vision of Jasper, my love.

After that very, intense vision and confused by it at the same time, I noticed that I was wearing something metallic around my neck. I picked up the strange shiny thing and examined it and saw very fine cracks in the makeup of it. Not knowing what it was, I let it fall against my neck again. I looked around once more and saw a piece of clothing laying nearby and before I thought about picking it up to examine it, I am already there with it in my hands. Something very faint made its way to my brain. The piece of cloth seemed familiar but I couldn't place it. Bringing it to my nose to sniff, I realized that was a bad idea because it caused a burning sensation in my throat, one that would not go away.

That was over ninety years ago and I still have the two items packed away in my closet. It wasn't until 1948 when I came across that same scent again. Walking into that diner and seeing that young lady there at the counter, I knew I had to talk to her and find out who she is and where she came from. I was most interested in knowing how she knew me. I have spent many a night coming up with ideas that the scent from the cotton jacket came from. And, here she was.

I walked up to the counter and took the stool next to her. At first, she ignored my appearance, which was fine. I wanted to get a good look at whom I had fantasized about for the last twenty-eight years. For some reason, she seemed familiar to me. Even though, I had no memory of my human years, I felt like I knew this person. I had to admit that her fashion sense needed some serious help. I had never seen anyone wear what she was. A red pullover shirt with white lettering on it that said, "Door to Floor." I wondered what that meant?

When she finally looked at me, I took that as a sign to initiate conversation.

"Hello." I said as softly as I could. When I don't get a response right away, I begin to wonder if I scared the poor woman. I saw her leg twitch up and down and knew that it's a nervous habit some humans have. When she looked back at me, wondering if it was her that I was talking to I raise an eyebrow and waited for her to talk. When she finally answered I commit her lovely voice to memory.

Her name is Abby I jumped for joy inside. This human was quickly becoming my favorite…besides Jasper…and the Cullens. As we conversed more I gather as much information as I could.

I asked my next question and heard her heartbeat pick up and her breathing hitched twice before I smelled the salty tears that formed in her eyes as we spoke. It was if I brought up some bad memory for her, which she confirmed with her next statement.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"No." she replied and I thought my undead heart would have stopped when I heard that answer. "You remind me of someone I once knew." She replied.

I knew what she meant, I answered back as honestly as I could. "I was thinking the same thing. You look familiar somehow."

I saw that she tried to compose herself so I gave her a concerned look and before I could ask again if she was okay, Mac walked up and asked again if she wanted anything to eat. After she picked a soda and nothing else, I realized that she was a little on the thin side and wondered if she was getting enough to eat. I also saw that she was taken aback by Mac's banter. I assumed that she had never heard anyone talk like that before and curious how they talked in Colorado.

She worked somewhere called JCP and wondered if that is short for JCPenney's. I made a mental note to check all JCPenney's in Colorado and thought that her outfit was required for her job. As I expected, she does work for the store. But, her description threw me off because I never heard of anything about small appliances before, but happy that they do have a catalog. I thought that she really wasn't from around here, meaning 1948. And, that brought a whole other set of questions I was eager to ask.

I, once again, became alarmed when she cried out and grabbed her head. Her temperature spiked and I could hear her heart hammering away in her chest. Sweat formed on her forehead and neck, causing her scent to increase tenfold, which made my mouth fill with venom. That hadn't happened in over fifteen years. She tried to appease me and said that she was okay but I knew better. I noticed that she was paler since I had walked into the diner. I grabbed her arms and kept her from falling over and when she repeated that she was okay I kept one of my hands on her, just in case.

I watched as she took a big swallow of her soda and smacked her lips. I smiled at her reaction to the drink. To me, it smelled like petrol, but then again, all human food smells that way. Everything about this creature had me second-guessing. When I see her make a decision I am more confused. I had never met anyone so…intriguing in my short vampire life. That was until Bella came into my life.

I had a vision that she was about to have another fit and was about to have one of the boys in the booth call after the doctor before she abruptly stood and told me she was going to the restroom. I watched her round the corner and disappear into the restroom and when I looked back at her stool I saw two items I had never seen in my life. I picked up both and examined them. It was then I had a vision of Abby passing out and jumped off the stool to make my way, as fast as humanly possible, to the restroom and demand that she opened the door.

When she didn't, I broke the lock and opened the door and saw her disappear. I blinked several times and made sure I didn't imagine it, I turned and saw that the boys in the booth, along with Mac, made no motion of my outburst. I looked back in the restroom and smelled her. Still holding the two items she left behind I made my way out of the diner and back to the motel I checked into the week before. As I waited for my Jasper to show up I pondered what I just witnessed.

Several years had gone by and, between Jasper and myself; we looked over Abby's things. It wasn't until the last ten years that we realized that they were a cell phone and Mp3 player. I spent the last sixty years boring him and my new family about the meeting with Abby. I told them everything and we all had gone over what happened to her and what these two things were. Not to mention, theories about her ability to come back in time.

They were as excited as I was when I had my first solid vision of her. It had been another ten years for that vision to come true. I think I drove everyone crazy. It was worse than the ones I had of Bella becoming a part of the family.

This morning, I was sitting in that chair at a mall with all the old people around and counting down the minutes to get my first look at Abby in almost sixty years. Bella practically had to sit on me to keep me from launching from the chair and at Abby. I know she was going to be apprehensive of this first meeting but I had to make her see that it wasn't a dream when we met last time. Nessie was as excited as I was and I could tell that it was getting to Bella that both of us were like two kids on a sugar high at the same time.

I heard her walking towards us with two other coworkers. I watched as she walked down the steps entering the food court. Bella, Nessie and I are on the lower mezzanine next to the waterfall. She didn't see me when she walked by but I knew she wouldn't until she walked back towards the store. I spent the last month staking out the place once I found which store she works for and have been watching Abby over that period of time. I know she is in grad school and couldn't be happier for her to get a good education.

Four minutes later I heard her walking back and am prepared for her to spot me. Just as she reaches the steps she scans the food court and sets eyes on me. It caused her to hesitate and mid step she froze trying to piece together what she just saw. Looking back at me to make sure I was who she saw in the diner so many years ago I nod my head to tell her silently that I am that person. She keeps staring at me trying to make the connection. It's when her coworkers call after her that she breaks eye contact and retreats back to the store.

"Well?" Asks Bella.

"Yes! It's her." I stated. She only nods.

"This is so cool." Exclaimed Nessie bouncing in her seat.

We slowly make our way to the store, only stopping in a few shops. My heart wasn't in it though and I know it bothered Bella. Me, not wanting to shop, there's a shocker.

Once in JCPenney's, I know Abby is nearby from her scent and heartbeat. It's beating at a normal pace. As we walk closer to her, I hear her talking to a young man, asking about an interview. I smile when she reprimands him for his low self-esteem. I also hear her boss walking with some important corporate people and decide to back off until she walks her areas with them.

Nineteen minutes and thirty-two seconds later they finished and I made my way to her, but before I could catch her, she walked through a set of swinging doors to the stockroom and I lose my chance to talk to her. Seeing that she wasn't going to come back out any time soon, I stop Jamie, her roommate for the past year and hand him the bag I bought her and give him explicit instructions to tell Abby. He takes me seriously and only flinches once when our hands touch.

I see that he tells her word for word and the confusion in his eyes, as he wants to know what I am talking about. She evades the question and looks in the bag and sees the phone and music player I had to replace. I went out a couple days ago and bought the newest phone on the market and top of the line music player with more memory. I added all the songs she had on her old one and added a few of my favorites.

Ten hours later, I am now sitting in a small fast food restaurant with Bella and Nessie trying to get the girl to eat human food. Too busy to pay any attention to them at the moment, I see that Abby is deciding to test her theory of time travel. It makes sense that she can do that, but how is another issue in itself. I have been trying to call her all day without any success. I know it's going to be awkward for us to meet again and prepare myself to explain what I am. I can't see how she will react to that bit of information.

It's when her future goes blank that I practically lose my composure and rush out of the restaurant almost too fast for humans and make my way to her house. I am constantly calling her cell until she finally answers. Before she can say anything I interrupt her and beg her not to follow through with her decision. Reluctantly she agrees. Taking an unnecessary breath I slow down. Agreeing to meet tomorrow, I see that her future comes back into focus.

Closing the phone I wait for Bella and Ness to catch up and explain what just happened. This human is going to drive me crazy if I don't watch it. I thought keeping an eye on Bella when she was human was bad, but Abby surpasses her by a mile.

Just as we reach Abby's street I see that her future disappears again. She's ignoring my advice and going back in time. I let out a low growl and race to her house. It was dark out and I knew no one would see me act unnaturally inhuman. Pounding on the door, I yell for Jamie to let me in. several minutes pass and I keep pounding rattling the frame. If I don't get an answer in ten seconds, I'm going to break the door down and make my way to Abby's room.

Finally, Jamie unlatches the door and before he gets it open all the way, I barge in and past him to her room. I can still hear her heartbeat pounding away. She knows I'm not happy with her and I can hear her rushing around her room and making her way to her bathroom. I slam the bedroom door open and am at the bathroom door in the blink of an eye and breaking the lock on the door I open it only to see her disappear.

I close my eyes and mutter a curse. I make myself have a vision of when she'll be back and in what condition she will be in. She will be gone for ten minutes and nineteen seconds. I pull my phone and make two calls. The first to Carlisle and have him tell me what to do with someone close to hypothermia. I see Abby coming back wet and cold. She's shaking so bad from the water I almost think she'll chip her teeth from the chattering she's doing.

The second call is to Tanya. That's to tell her that I found her mate…some one hundred years after she first meets her.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

I open my eyes and stare at the magnificent wall clock on the main staircase. The detail of it mesmerizes me. I can't believe people are this talented. Staring at the clock for few more minutes, I reach into my pocket and pull the digital camera out. Holding the camera up and taking a picture I worry that the flash will cause people to look my way, but like in the diner with Alice they don't. Taking a deep breath I snap off a couple more.

Turning around, I look down and see several people walking towards a set of double doors to my right. Still looking in awe, I make my way down the very grand staircase onto the first class parlor and promenade area. Snapping away with the camera I know that I would never make it with this group of people. Money is just poring off them and they don't seem too effected by all the bling sparkling everywhere.

The dresses are spectacular, colors and fabrics of every shape and style. The stuff that the ladies wear today has nothing on these ladies. And, the men whew! Talk about studs in tuxes. I have never seen this many men in three-piece tuxedos. I don't think I have seen anyone with straighter backs than I am now. Makes me feel like a hunchback. Their postures are perfect. I can see why they thought they could do anything and that nothing was in their way to get what they want. There were no constraints when it came to something they want, I'm sure of it. And, as I suspected, no one pays me any attention. Either they don't see or just ignoring me.

Walking down the grand staircase and gaping at how it looks, it is unbelievable how anyone can create such beautiful work. At the bottom of the staircase is a statue of a cherub holding a light above its head. I stand there staring at it for a few minutes, taking in the detail and wonder how people can create something this beautiful and how long it took to carve. It's a shame it only lasted a short time before going under.

Looking up I see the most marvelous doom I have ever seen. There wasn't much to it, but it brings out the grand staircase and the veranda from the next level up. The magnificence of these areas was something I would see in someplace like Rome, Italy. Words elude me describing all this.

Once I get to the bottom I am about knocked off my feet. The beauty of the room on this deck was short of heavenly. The ceiling alone is beautiful. The carvings of the awning that wraps around the whole deck is breathtaking. If only I had a latter to climb up there to get a better look.

To my right is the reception area that leads to the dining room. Then there is the dining room. It's huge. There are several small tables that seat two to eight people. The molding around the ceiling is extraordinary. The wood paneling has intricate designs and the curtains highlights the bay windows. I can hear the band playing from where I am and am impressed by the music.

The jewelry they are wearing is blinding. I'm sure one piece of that is more than what I make in ten years. Granted, I'm not making much in the retail business. Fighting the urge to walk around up here is hard but I need to keep on schedule and come see what I wanted to. I snap off a few more pictures and keep moving.

Taking the grand staircase down another level I see the smoking room. It is mostly empty, however, there are a few tables filled with men and their cigars, talking business, most likely. The cigar smoke reminds me of my dad when he used to smoke. I was so happy that he quit years ago. The smell was nauseating.

As I make my way down the staircase, I pass several more decks, hoping beyond hope that I'm not lost. I can see the difference from first class to second class. It is less ornate but still breathtaking. I'm just going to have to spend more time here next time because seeing all this is causing me to waste time and I want to see what the third class people are doing with their time before they get to the U.S. This is way better than going to any museum that's for sure.

Making my way lower and lower on the ship, I pull out the map to find the third class dining room. I think that is where the passengers spend their evenings. I stop at the bottom of E deck and look at the map trying to figure out where I need to go to next. All of a sudden, I get the feeling of being watched and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Looking up and folding my map I place it back in my pocket and turn around.

On the step above me stands a young woman with strawberry blonde hair. It is done up in a tight bun with strands that hung on either side of her face. Looking up at her I am struck by how beautiful she is. I swallow hard and try not to stare at her but it's impossible. I have never seen anyone this gorgeous before. Well, except for Alice, but she had nothing on this person. Blinking to make sure I'm not making her up, I see a smile forming on her lips.

When I look into her eyes I see she has the exact same gold color as Alice does. I wonder if they are related somehow. The intensity in her eyes makes me want to get lost in them. I am not gay by any means. I was married once but this woman has me captivated. Her pale skin is flawless and so smooth; I don't think a baby's skin is this smooth. There probably isn't a blemish anywhere on her either.

I take a step back from her and for every step I take back she takes one forward until I'm against the wall with the handrail pressed into the middle of my back.

She is only a couple inches shorter than me but the heels she wears makes up the difference. She is so close I can smell her perfume and it's intoxicating. I have never smelled anything like it. I want to ask where she got it so I get it too, although, it would be way above my pay range.

I swallow and she became interested in my neck. As she leans forward, I lean back until my head bumps the wall. I clench my jaw and try to keep the fear of being touched at bay. I'm sure she can hear my heart pounding by the close proximity. I don't want to be touched in any way, whatsoever. As I turn my head to keep her from touching me, I hear her inhale deeply and close her eyes. My flight or fight reflexes seem to take a vacation and I'm frozen in place. This woman is testing every one of my defenses and it seems that she is winning.

"Exquisite." She whispered and inhales again.

I shiver when her breath touches me and I grab the handrail for support. If I could crawl up the wall I would, just to get away from her. She has no problem getting into people's personal space.

When she opens her eyes again, I see that they have lost some of the gold and are a murky brown. Something tells me to be afraid of the color change but I am too mesmerized by them.

"May I ask where it is your looking for?" she asked. There's a slight accent that I couldn't place but know it is somewhere in Eastern Europe. Russian possibly.

"Uh." I said at a sudden loss for words. Boy! My intelligence is really shining through now.

She raises a perfect blonde brow waiting for me to answer her. When I try again to say something and fail she leans towards me and inhales again. This isn't helping me at all.

"My apologies but I haven't smelled something so divine as you." She said. What? I'm not wearing any perfume.

"Um. Thank you." I said. I'm not sure I should say that but I have no idea how to answer her.

"I love your voice. Please keep talking." She said.

"Um. Okay. To answer your first question, I was just looking for the third class dining room." I replied. I'm surprised at my boldness. Normally, when people get this close, and not many do, I seem to cringe and stutter, kinda like now.

With my head still tilted to the side I look up at the stairs to see if anyone is coming. I can only imagine what they would think if they saw us this way. It looks very intimate. If I were to straighten out I would be touching her.

"And, why are you looking for that?"

"Just to see what it looks like." I shrug nonchalantly. I don't want to tell her the real reason; she would think I'm crazy.

She looks at me, amusement in her eyes and waits for me to elaborate.

"I want to see how they spend their evenings." I said.

"I see. Apparently, you want to see if they are more…entertaining than first class then."

"Yes." I said.

She takes a couple of steps back and I take a deep breath not realizing that I've been holding it. She sees that and chuckles. It's a wonderful sound. Ugh! I'm losing it.

"Would you like some company? I would like to see what they are doing as well." She asks and, again, waits for me to answer.

I look at her gown, which is a wonderful shade of red with black lacing and beads covering it. Her long white gloves, that go past her elbows, only adds to the extravagant gown and I grimace knowing that she will definitely stand out down there.

She looks at herself and then says, "Perhaps I should change into something a little less expensive."

She looks up at me and continues, "Would you like to join me in my cabin?"

I bulk at that and her straight forwardness.

"Uh. That's okay. I think I'll pass. Thank you." I said not sure what to say.

Again, she chuckles and steps back up to me. I twist my head again and close my eyes and hear her inhale.

"Please don't move. I will not be long." Then, she nips my earlobe and I flinch.

I open my eyes and see that she is gone. She didn't make a sound leaving and thinking back, I realize I didn't hear her coming up behind me either.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

Unfreezing from my position, I push off from the wall and shudder. It has been a long time since I had anyone that close. I have no idea where the fear of being touch came from, but it's something that I've dealt with since I was a kid. I process what just happened and realize that a woman hit on me. That's never happened before either. Not sure what to think about that, the second thing I realize is that she is coming back.

For some reason, I'm not sure of I panic. I don't want to be here, alone with her again. I take off at a sprint down a hallway and realize I'm going the wrong way and turn around and take the stairs down jumping the last two in my hurry to get as far away from the Goddess as possible. Granted, there isn't much room on a ship in the middle of the ocean, but maybe I can elude her down here.

After spending the next fifteen minutes of walking in a circle (it seems like a circle, all the hallways look the same), I find the dining room. I hear the music first and head that way. Looking behind me to make sure no one, especially a strawberry blonde, is following; I reach the dining room and see that several hundred people are crammed inside.

However, they are mostly standing and sitting close to the walls. The middle of the dining room is empty of tables and chairs. The music starts again and people gather around the middle to dance. This is what I'm looking for. A smile forms and I step closer to the dance floor to watch.

The people all seem to be relaxed and at ease. I can imagine that this is the best place they've ever been. Their clothes look like they have been worn more than a few times. I'm sure the people in first class wear their clothes once or twice before discarding them. What a waste!

After a few songs have been played the people are really enjoying themselves. As I clap my hands and watch five couples swing each other around, someone places a mug of ale in my hand clinks his glass with mine before taking a big gulp. I follow his lead and take a big gulp too. For someone who doesn't drink alcohol, it tastes really good. I never had ale before either so I have nothing to compare it to. The man has black hair that is long enough that it covers his dark brown eyes. He's lean and average height. Nothing really stands out and he seems like very nice young man.

He starts talking to me in a language I don't know or heard. I was never able to figure out where some of the languages are from hearing them. I think it comes from somewhere in Eastern Europe. He's sincere in his actions and seems really interested in me.

"Sorry but I have no idea what you're saying." I said smiling at him.

Before he replies he stiffens and looks behind me. I know before I see that the mystery woman has found me. The hairs on my neck stand up and feel a hand on the small of my back, which I shudder at the contact. The man looks from her to me and bows before he turns and walks away.

"I believe he said that you are very beautiful and wants to have a dance." The voice whispers in my ear.

I turn around and come face to face with the blonde. Taking two steps back to put some distance between us, I bump into a table full of mugs. I turn to make sure they don't spill or fall and when I turn back around, the goddess has taken two more steps to make up for the lost space. Looking behind her I see that she didn't come down here alone. There were two other women with her, both blondes. All three of them look like they could be sisters. All have the same golden eyes and long blonde hair.

Right now, they appear to be dressed in third class attire and pull it off without any problems. I'm sure that they could pull off wearing a trash bag and make a statement. Not that anyone would be looking at what they are wearing. Their looks alone can get them anything they want and I'm pretty sure they've used that to their advantage. The two other blondes are looking from me to the one I met earlier smiling.

"Congratulations Tanya." One of the blondes said. Why is she congratulating her…Tanya? I like that name. The other only nods. Both are looking me over, appraising my appearance. Granted. I'm dressed for success by any means.

I set my empty mug of ale down on the table and about to ask all three what they're talking about when someone grabs my hand and drags me to the floor to dance. Tanya grabs my other hand and follows. A line is forming again and everyone is dancing in a wide circle that starts out small and is growing as more and more people join. Those who aren't on the dance floor are stomping their feet and clapping their hands. The atmosphere is infectious.

Several hours have passed and I have drank several mugs of ale. I am not a drinker! After someone hands me my eighth mug of ale, Kate takes it away from me.

"Hey." I said, trying to reach for the mug but she hands it to another patron.

"I think you have had enough Laska." Tanya remarked, keeping a weary eye on my. I am getting a little woozy.

Before I can reply, a big burly man, that has been watching me all night walks up to us and unbuttons three buttons. Kate and Irina, Tanya's sisters (I was right) take a defensive stand in front of me. That's strange. Tanya grabs my arms and pushes me behind her. Why are they acting this way?

The man is undeterred though. He pulls out a journal and attempts to hand it to me, but Kate and Irina are blocking his way. When I don't reach for it, he shakes his arm a little to make his point. Tanya grabs the journal and hands it to me still watching the burly man.

I look at the journal and see that it is bound in leather. The corners are worn down indicating that it has been used. Flipping the pages over, every single one is filled. The writing is small and written in a language I can't read. As I continue flipping the pages, the man is talking and I look up at him. Whatever he is saying has my three blondes listening intently. When he is done he turns and walks away.

"Uh. What did he say?" I asked when no one offers.

"He said that your mother asked him to write down his experiences in Hungary and give it to you when you boarded this ship." Tanya explained. Three sets of eyes stare back at me for an explanation.

I have no idea what he is talking about. My mother? I'm assuming he's talking about my great grand mother. How did anyone know I was on this ship before I made the decision to come aboard?

"I have no idea what that man is talking about?" I stated when they continue to stare.

I shrug and try to make my way back to my bag that I left near a table full of men. Instead of walking, I'm more like staggering towards the table. Two pairs of hands grab my arms and lift me up and walk towards the exit. I try to protest but am shushed as they continue their way down the hall, unfazed by the weight they are carrying. Tanya is kind enough to grab my bag and walk behind us. I feel her hand rest on the small of my back again and try to squirm to make her take it off but she only presses on my more. Finally, giving up I just let them take me wherever.

As we climb up the stairs, I take a gook look at my companions. Kate has long blonde hair that goes down to her waist. She seems the most easy going of the three and the most on guard. If someone tried to manhandle me, she'd step in and make them change their minds. It didn't take much either. Most of the people avoided all three girls as much as they could in a small space. Those who are brave enough to talk to one; I can see the fear and bravery they show. It amused all three when one poor soul walked up and asked for a dance.

Irina is the quiet one. She seems like she would rather be anywhere than down here. I'm not sure what her problem or issues are, but I only just met her. Her blonde locks go to the middle of her back and she has an intensity about her that makes anyone come near her to rethink their actions. Yet, at the same time, she could be a tease when she wants to. She reminds me of Jekyll and Hyde.

We climb the stairs until we reach the main deck and I'm set down. Still holding onto me long enough to get my bearings, I only wobble a little bit. I relish the fresh air. It is a bit nippy but I don't mind too much or care. All thoughts of what are about to transpire gone. All I care about now is not puking my guts up. I knew I should have stopped after that first mug was thrust into my hands but before I could finish it, was replaced by another. That continued all night. Not wanting to displease anyone or waste anything I take the offered mugs.

The lights from the bridge reflect off the deck and surrounding structures. I can hear Kate and Irina talking in low voices several steps away, while Tanya is rubbing my back trying to sooth me. It feels good. My head is lying against the railing and the cool surface makes my head feel good.

All of a sudden, Tanya's hand stop and the murmuring from Kate and Irina seize. I look up and at them and see them looking off in the distance. It seems that they can see what my eyes can't. Realization hits me when I see looks of horror cross all three females. Tanya pulls me back several feet as the iceberg comes into view. I hear yelling from the crow's nest and a bell sounding close by. Kate and Irina take a stance in front of Tanya and I hear the metal rip apart where the iceberg slices through it like butter.

Tanya grabs my waist to keep me balanced while Kate and Irina hold onto each other. As we pass the iceberg, I can barely see the top with how high it is. Several chunks of ice fall onto the deck and all of us back up several more feet.

Once the ship passes the iceberg, I feel the ship slow down. It gets so quiet I think the iceberg has taken any sound with it. I close my eyes and send up a silent prayer.

Opening my eyes again I mutter, "Oh, Hell!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13

All three females turn to me with looks of concern. I can tell they are all thinking the same thing. This ship is going under. I close my eyes again and shake my head, running my hands through my hair I start pacing around in small circles and mutter what I'm going to do.

"Abigail, I'm sure we will make it to shore or another ship will get here in time before anything too bad happens." Tanya says trying to calm me down.

I shake my head and continue to mutter.

"It's about as bad as you think it is." I said.

I look at all three when I said that. Irina is the first to comprehend what I said and her look goes from concern to confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's as bad as you're thinking. There are no ships close enough to get here and save everyone, well there is but it ignores the flares and radio calls." I said. "And, there not enough boats to get everyone in them." I said pointing to a lifeboat.

All three stare at me. I continue to mutter.

"What am I going to do?" I say over and over again. I now realize what Alice meant by not doing this. What happens if I die here? Would I ever show up in my time?

"How do you know that?" Kate asks stopping my in my tracks and forcing me to look up at her.

"I just…do." I said.

Do I tell them about my ability? Would they believe me if I did?

"Can you see into the future?" Tanya asks curiously. I guess you can call it that. Or, I have twenty-twenty hindsight.

She's still holding my bag and I reach for it. After handing it over, I place the strap over my head and let the bag rest against me. It's like my security blanket. I don't go anywhere without it.

"Well," I hesitate, "Kinda."

Three pairs of brows rise with that statement. It's the best I can say without giving myself away.

"Or," Irina says realization crossing her face, "this has already happened and you know what the outcome is."

I bulk at her statement and blink. How did she figure that out? Both Kate and Tanya look at her in surprise.

"I've been watching you all night Abby and noticed that you talk different than the rest of us." She said. "You also mentioned a couple of things that eluded me to the fact that you're not from…this time."

Great! I should not let myself drink alcohol ever again. Kate and Tanya look at me again, now with a new perspective. Tanya looks happy while Kate looks…upset, angry.

"Is this true?" Tanya asks. I close my eyes and nod.

"Then why didn't you say something sooner?" Kate asked with accusation laced in her voice.

"Would you have believed me?" I countered. They all look at me and I continue talking, anger and anxiety lacing my words. "What was I supposed to say, 'hey guys, the ship's going to hit an iceberg and going to sink in about two hours, so you better jump ship now and save yourselves.'" I take a breath and continue my rant.

"I mean, seriously, this is a big deal. A ship that no one thought would sink and does. This sinking spreads all across the world and…probably changes how the protocol is done in the future. And," I'm practically screaming by now, "I have no idea what would happen if I tried to stop this from happening."

I spread my arms around me. "God!" I cry out and grab my hair again.

"This ship is going in two hours?" Kate asked. "That can't be."

"What do you mean by that?" I ask, "That it can't sink or that it only takes a lil' over two hours to sink?"

"Both, I think." Kate replied.

"It can and it will. That iceberg," I say pointing to said iceberg, "cut a hole long enough that the water tight bulks, or whatever they're called, are not prepared for that much water coming in at once."

"Okay." Irina cuts in, "How big of a deal is this from where you're from?"

"It was a big thing, someone even recreated the ship for a story he wrote." I said.

How do I explain what a movie is to them?

"And, it was huge." I replied.

"Okay. Not to get off subject here, but why exactly are you here?" Irina asked.

I hesitated and chewed my top lip.

"Sweetheart, please tell us." Tanya said.

Whoa! Wait a minute.

"Yeah. Don't go there." I said giving her a pointed look. She gives me one back.

"Okay lovebirds, lets not stray off point here." Kate said.

"Whoa! Hold up. We are so not going there. I was married." I said.

"I don't see a ring." Kate said, raising a brow and looking at my hands.

"I took it off a while ago." I said.

Before I could say anymore, I get a flash behind my eyes and I cry out. The pain is quickly gone and I rub the spot. I can still see white spots and get a little disoriented and nauseous. Bending over to catch my breath, I feel a set of hands on me. Too preoccupied to say anything about it I just continue to rub my forehead.

I try to keep the bile from making it all the way out. Swallowing several times and breathing heavily, I try to straighten up but someone's hand is pressing me down. Taking another couple breaths I wave them off to say I'm okay. I remember this feeling when I was in the diner. I think it's a warning telling me that my time is up and I need to get back to the 21st century.

Standing up straight is a bad idea. My head starts spinning and I feel myself start swaying. Tanya is there to keep me from falling and hitting my head, but everything goes dark…again.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

When I gain conscious, I open my eyes thinking I'm back home in my room, but I'm not. Looking around I see that I'm in a cabin and from the looks of it, somewhere in third class. This can't be good. Getting up is a bit harder than I expected. It feels like a weight has been placed on my body preventing me from moving. Before I can give into my panic the weight is gone.

I scramble to my feet and rake a shaky hand through my hair. Taking two deep breaths I calm down enough to take in my surroundings. The cabin isn't a big one. It has four berths and a small sink against the wall between the berths. I walk five steps and am at the door.

Walking out into the hallway I notice that I have been out of it for over an hour, possibly two, because I can see the water making its way to me. The ship is already tilting. Pushing the fear back I take off down the hall to find a stairwell. I spend the next five minutes wondering the hallways before I find one and take it up two decks then come to a screeching halt.

"I can't believe they did this." I muttered looking at the gate. It was indeed locked. No amount of pushing or pulling could make it open. Looking down the stairwell I can see the water rising. I reach into my bag and pull out a bold cutter. At least, I came prepared.

I place it against a metal bar and clamp down on the cutter but can't get the bar cut. Gritting my teeth and squeezing the cutter with all my might, I finally snap the bar loose. Kneeling down to get the bottom part snapped I curse to myself.

"I'll be dead before I can get a hole big enough to crawl through." I grunted.

I break off two more bars when I see the water trickle around my boots.

"One more bar better do it." I mumbled trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.

Just as I'm breaking another bar off, the gate is ripped from its hinges and I'm swept up in a pair of cold arms. Before I can register what is happening, two decks pass by before I am placed on my feet. Swaying from the motion I try to get my bearings. Blinking I look to see who just saved my life. Of course, it's Tanya standing before me, her hands on my waist to steady me. Her eyes are no longer gold but a solid black.

"What the Hell was that that just happened?" I asked still feeling wobbly from the fast movement.

Tanya doesn't answer just stares at me. If she were anymore stiller I would have thought she was a statue. I ask again but she ignores my questions. When I go to ask a third time, she seems to come unglued from whatever kept her frozen and takes two strides to me, cups my face and latches her mouth on to mine.

But, as my mind processes what she is doing, she is yanked backwards and sent flying through the wall. A big hulk of a man is standing where Tanya was seconds ago. If I didn't know any better I would have thought he was into steroid use. That's how huge he is. Shoulder length light brown hair and small beady blue eyes glares at me.

I go to scream my best girly scream but am cut off when his hand reaches up and squeezes my throat. I grab his hands futilely trying to free them so I can breath but it's no use. Lifting me up by the throat, I am eye level with him. He sneers back.

"Give your mother my regards." He barked.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

I am close to losing conscious again when two blondes tackle him. I collapse and grab my throat panting for dear life. I hear someone gutter a command and then I am hoisted and fly up to the main deck. I'm seated in a chair and a hand soothes my back murmuring apologies and encouragement.

I prop my elbows on my knees and lean my head on my palms. Taking deep breaths I replay everything that's happened in the last ten minutes. The gate getting ripped from the wall, the kiss, and the hulk telling me to say hi to my mother…the kiss. Let's not forget that I was almost strangled to death too. Why, then, am I more concerned about that kiss? My lips are still tingling from her touch. Why would she do that?

Still figuring out what I just witnessed from these women, I come to the conclusion that they are more than human. What human can just pull a metal gate from the wall? What human can climb two flights of stairs carrying a hundred-fifty pound person and not break a sweat or get tired? What human can get thrown through a wall without getting a scratch on them?

I feel a pair of cold hands pull my hands away from my head making me look up. Tanya was kneeling in front of me, worry written on her face.

"What do we have to do to get you back?" She asks. She looks determined.

"So, you believe me?" I asked.

"Well, when you disappeared on us downstairs, it made a believer out of us." Replied Kate while Irina nodded.

"I don't know." I said. "Last time I was able to do this, I blacked out and woke up in my bed."

She arches her brow and tilts her head. "How many times have you done this?"

"Technically, twice that I know of." I replied.

"And, this was the first time you were able to control it." It wasn't a question. I nod.

"Kinda." I said.

I take the journal out of my bag and wrap it, along with my phone and camera, in the plastic and then the saran wrap hoping that it will protect them from getting too wet. The three women watch with fascination as I do this. They don't ask what the material is and that is a good thing. I think I broke about a million time travel laws by telling her and the other two what happens to this ship, if there is such a thing.

When I'm done and have them in my bag I look around. I hear people shouting outside. It's complete chaos. Getting up from the chair and making my way outside onto the boat deck I'm not surprised that there is no sense of direction. People scrambling about trying their hardest to get onto a lifeboat. There are screams coming from every direction and I can hear the music playing nearby. Deciding to go all out and damn myself for what I'm about to say I turn to Tanya and tell her what is going to happen next.

"The ship will break in two." I said. And, as I say it, I can hear the creaking coming from underneath.

"The lifeboats are not filled to their maximum and a lot of people will die." I know I've said it before but reiterate it.

"They won't drown like most believed for a long time. They're gonna freeze to death."

I walk over to the lounge chairs and tables along the wall of the deck.

"If we throw these over, it could save some from freezing. They could climb onto them and get out of the water quickly."

I stare at the furniture and get bumped several times by people rushing past me. The creaking is getting louder and I know my time is about up. I look at the panic stricken faces and the feeling of complete helplessness overtakes me. It never occurred to me what these people really went through. I saw the movie and was fascinated with everything else but the gut wrenching truth. And, that these people knew they were going to die and probably a horrific and painful one at that.

"Do not think that." Tanya said. "They are not your responsibility."

Reading my thoughts I turn to her and see the sadness in her eyes as well.

"Think about being home and you will end up there." She said with urgency. She grabs my face and kisses me with fierceness that it I can't do anything but let it happen.

Before I can process that the ship starts turning and we both start sliding towards the water. Tanya grabs my hand and we collide with the railing. Then I hear the snapping of wood and see a part of the ship just a few feet away coming apart. Without thinking, Tanya rushes over and grabs a lounge chair as it slides away from us and tosses it into the water. Then, she grabs a table and does the same thing.

I'm hanging on for dear life. After she tosses in several furniture pieces, she grabs me by the waist and without any notice jumps into the frigid ocean. I go under and am brought to the surface by a pair of strong arms. Breaking the surface I cough and inhale deeply. The icy cold takes my breath away and I find it hard to take a breath.

We reach the table that she threw in and pushes me onto it. I wait for her to climb on but she doesn't. Instead, she starts swimming away from the ship. We are about a hundred feet from the ship and I look over at it and shudder, partly from the cold and partly from the sight before me. The ship is almost half in the water and tilting up.

Then, as if someone karate chopped it, the ship snaps and the part that is in the air comes crashing down into the water sending a wave towards us. I hear the screaming of people in their last moments of life and squeeze my eyes shut.

"Hold on." Tanya yells just as the wave reaches us.

The wave is high enough to lift us several feet before crashing back down. I am lifted off the table and plunge back into the water. This time as I try to resurface, I can feel the pull of the ship going down and sucking everything around it down too. As hard as I try I can't break free until two sets of arms pull me up. Tanya is on one side and Kate is on the other. Irina pulls the table back to us and I get hoisted back onto it.

I hear murmuring going on and then hear two of them leaving.

"Be careful and see you soon enough. Abby." Kate says as she swims off.

"Where are they going?" I ask. My teeth are starting to chatter uncontrollably and my body starts shaking.

"To try and help the others." She replied. "Abby, you need to leave now."

"Okay. But, one thing." I said. I try to look at her but have trouble seeing in the dark. "I hope you have a lot of patience."

"Why?" she asked.

"It won't be shortly like Kate said.

"How long?"

I look at her and say, "2013."

Before I push myself into the water again I can see the sadness in her eyes.

I go under and with all my will and strength I think the last thing before blacking out. I want to go home.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15

I'm lying in the bathroom, shaking like a leaf. My teeth are chattering so bad I think I may chip a tooth. It takes two tries to sit up and I'm too cold to think about trying to stand. Alice opens the door and looks down at me. I try to smile at her but the chattering isn't stopping.

"Hhhhiiii." I stuttered.

She sighs and lifts me up without any problem and starts taking my clothes off. I try to protest but stop when she glares at me. She pulls the bag over my head and places it on the floor leaning against the cabinet. I am trying to unbutton my shirt but am shaking so bad I can't get a hold of the button. Alice takes my shirt and rips it open sending buttons flying.

"Hhheeeyy. IIII llliiikkkeeeeddd…" I try saying that I liked that shirt but am cut off again with her glare. She makes my mom's glare look like a cute kitten wanting a bite of my tuna sandwich.

She bends over and rips the laces from my boots and lifts a leg to pull the boot off. She does the same thing with the other one. I know better than to say anything at this point. She's pissed and probably has every right to be. I promised not to try anything but, in all seriousness; I didn't think I would be able to do that on command. I was more shocked than anything that I could do it.

I try to tell her that while she continues to rip the clothes off me. She stops and looks at me and I see her look soften a bit.

"I know Abby." She said.

It's freakishly weird how she knows what I'm going to say before I say it but at the moment it's probably better this way. Once all the clothes are off, I'm brought out of the bathroom where a set of flannel pajamas are waiting on my bed for me to put on. I look at them and then Alice. She rolls her eyes and helps me in them. Once the pj's are on, she lifts me and puts me to bed like a kid. I have flannel sheets on the bed too and they are comfortable. Didn't know I had them.

I hear her call to someone named Seth and then she hands me two pills and a glass of water. I hesitate at the pills and look up at her. She gives me a pointed look that says I better take them. Holding out my hand, I take the pills and drink the water. Instead of just taking a swallow I down the whole glass full. My throat feels is parched from drinking all the salt water from the ocean.

I hand the glass back to Alice and see a big burly of a kid standing in the doorway. He has a smile on his face that lights up his whole face. He stands about six five or taller and is filled out in all the right places. Even though, he looks about eighteen, his body says he looks to be in his twenties.

"Go ahead Seth." Alice said.

He walks around the bed and climbs in. Taken aback by his boldness I turn to Alice for an explanation but get none. I pull the covers off me and attempt to get up but Alice pushes me back down and pulls the covers back up.

"He's only here to get your body temperature up." She states.

What?

"Turn on your side please." Seth asked.

I turn away from him and feel him adjust and get comfortable. He pulls me to him and spoons me from behind. I immediately stiffen from the contact. It's been five years since someone has done that.

"Please relax and let me get you warm."

I try and can't. Between him touching me and still shivering from earlier I can't get my body to obey. It takes an hour to stop shaking. I doze during that time as my body starts to warm. I have no idea how Seth is doing it, but his warmth is helping. Alice doesn't leave the room either, for which I'm grateful. Finally, exhaustion from my adventure catches up to me and I fall into a deep sleep.

My dreams are vivid and without recourse. I hear people screaming and can't help them no matter what I do. My body jerks and causes me to surface enough to shake off the dream only to go back under and plunge right back into it. When I start hearing the screams again, I feel a warm arm wrap around my stomach and squeezes letting me know that I'm not on the ship.

That's when the dreams shift to a calmer one. One that features strawberry blonde hair and honey colored eyes. It was during one of these dreams when my body is warm enough and I kick off the blankets. The warm arm around me soon disappears too.

When I resurface for good, I don't open my eyes just yet. Instead, I take inventory of my body. If feels like a MAC truck has hit me. Every muscle is screaming at me when I make the smallest of movements and my throat feels like the Sahara. I hear the faint tapping of keys on my laptop being pushed and alerts me that someone is here and I have a suspicious idea who that someone is. To avoid putting off the "talk" we are about to have, I pretend to still be asleep but that is dashed when I hear her tell me.

"I know you're awake Abby."

Sighing, I open my eyes and immediately close them. It's too bright in here. Rolling over onto my back I hear several joints pop back into place and let out a groan from the effort it took to do that.

"Good afternoon." She said still looking at the laptop.

"Afternoon?" I groan. My voice sounds like I've been chain smoking for years.

"Yes. You've been asleep for two and a half days."

I blink several times taking in what she just said. Wow! I don't think I've ever slept that long before. I go to put my arm over my eyes and stop. I have an IV in the back of my hand. Staring at it I follow the tube to a saline bag that is hanging from the headboard above my head.

"Please try not to rip it again." She said still ignoring me.

I lower my arm again and look over at her. She's sitting on the floor next to the bed with her back propped against the nightstand. My laptop is on her knees and the wireless mouse is on the bed. Has she been there this whole time?

Finally done with what she was doing, Alice places the laptop on the bed and turns her body to face me. Her eyes are completely black and the circles under her eyes stand out more.

"Have you been sitting there the whole time?" I croak.

"Yes." She replied.

"Why?"

"Because I've been worried about you." Rolling her eyes like it was the obvious thing.

We're quiet for a few minutes just staring at each other.

"Sorry." I said.

"For?" she asked.

"For breaking my promise and traveling back to 1912." I replied. It sounds weird saying that. "But, in my defense I didn't know I would be able to do that."

She closes her eyes and thinks for a moment.

"I accept your apology." She says opening her eyes.

"Thanks."

"So. Did you enjoy yourself?" She asked. I can tell she is still a little peeved at me and can't think of why that is.

"Uh. Yeah. It was…fun." I said trying to come up with a good answer.

"Yes. I can tell from the bruise in the shape of a hand on your neck that you had fun."

Oh. That. Crap!

"I had a small altercation but was able to handle it." I replied as casually as I could.

She rolls her eyes at me obviously not believing what I just said. It's true…to an extent. Sighing, she turns her head towards the door, that's closed, and murmurs something I can't hear. Seconds later there is a light knock on the door and in walks in one of the brunettes that was with Alice in the mall holding two glasses and a pill bottle.

"Abby this is Bella, Bella Abby." Alice said.

"Hello Abby. Good to finally meet you." Bella said handing the stuff to Alice.

"Hey." Is all that comes out. I'm too busy staring at her beauty. Long brown hair, Heart shaped face and her gold eyes just accentuate everything else.

Bella turns and leaves making my list of questions I want to ask Alice. I look over at her and she's holding out the pills and one glass of water with a straw. I slowly sit up and take them from her and feel my head spin. I read what's on the bottle and see that it's an antibiotic.

"It's so you won't get sick, Abby." Alice stated.

I simply look at her to explain instead she pulls the laptop back to her and faces the monitor towards me. She opens up a file and starts clicking on pictures that were downloaded. I look at them and see that they're the pictures I took of the ship. I'm impressed that they came out all.

As she clicks through them I see that we get to the part of the first class dining area.

" . Back up, please." I insisted.

She does and I look at it for a minute taking in all the detail. On the right side of the picture and sitting at a table sitting several people I see the back of Tanya. I recognize her hair and the gown she was wearing when she pinned me to the wall. Next her and half cut off from the picture, is Kate. I didn't know I caught a picture of them.

Alice continues through the slide show and stops at a picture taken in the third class dining area where I was dancing. There's Tanya, Kate and Irina politely declining a dance with some brave souls.

"Who are they?" she asked.

"Just some ladies having a good time." I shrugged. "Never got their names."

She smirks and finishes clicking through the pictures.

"Not bad Abby." She said.

"I was in a hurry take them and get back. I wasn't really trying to go for good quality productions." I said a bit too defensively.

"I know."

We sit there for a few minutes taking in the pictures I took.

"You know that's really weird what you can do." I added not elaborating and testing to see if she understood that I was stating her freakishly weird way of knowing what I'm going to.

"Yes. I do."

"How can you do that anyway?"

Thinking over her answer, I take the pills as directed and down the water. Placing the glass on the nightstand I take the other glass from Alice and start drinking that. It's orange juice.

"I can see the future." She states.

I blink at that. She can see the future? That's pretty cool.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes."

"Okay."

"How…" I ask but can't get the question I want out.

"How does it work?"

"Yes."

"If someone makes a decision, I see the outcome of that decision. But, if they change their mind, the vision changes with it." She explained.

"That's…" Impressive, cool, intriguing are a few words that come to mind.

"Sometimes." She answered.

I try to get in order the questions I want to ask. First and foremost, how old is she?

"I'm over a hundred years old Abby." She states.

I spit out the juice I just drank.

"What?" I asked.

"I was born in 1901."

I'm struck dumb. How can she be born in 1901 and still look this way?

"Wha… how?" I ask confused.

"Do you really want to know?" she whispered.

"It might clear up a lot of confusion I have." I stated.

"Abby." She said.

"Yeah."

"I'm a vampire!"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

I sit there staring at her waiting for her to tell me she's joking but she doesn't. On one level, it makes sense. The immortality and staying young explains her not aging in the sixty something years I saw her in the diner. And, since she can see the future, it most likely helped her find me again. I did give her some clues to help her out, but I'm pretty sure she went to every JCPenney's store in Colorado and asked for me until someone told her where I worked. How many Abbys works in these stores that wear a red JCP door to floor shirt? Not many, I'm assuming.

On the other hand, how is it possible that something as mythological as a vampire exists without everyone knowing? Unless, someone met one and has and written a story and it got carried away by the imagination of authors over time. That makes sense too. But, how much of what is written is true? Still staring at her, I blink several times to get my head wrapped around what she just told me.

"Abby, say something." She said.

"Uh." Is my response. Is this for real?

"Yes. It's for real." She replied.

I sit there still staring at her.

"Abby?" She asks when I still don't say anything.

"Sorry. Just…" I wave my arms at her.

"I know."

"Weird." I muttered to myself.

"Weird, as am, I'm weird or this situation is weird?" she asked for clarification.

"I don't know. Both. Maybe."

"And, this is coming from someone who can travel back in time."

"True." I said shrugging.

We sit there in silence for a few minutes for me to compose my thoughts. That's when I'm struck with the most important question and should have asked it first. That's her "eating" habits. Looking at her with wide eyes, my pulse accelerates.

"You don't have to worry about that Abby. My family and I only drink from animals." She explained.

"That's good to know." I sighed but it did little to calm me down.

"Deep breath Abby." She said with concern.

Watching me take a couple deep breaths and satisfied that I obeyed her she stands up and holds out her hand for me to take. Looking at it with apprehension I stare back up at her.

"I'm not going to hurt you." She said.  
"It's not that. I just don't like being touched or touching people." I answered.

"Really?" She said quirking an eyebrow. "That's interesting."

"It's a thing." I muttered looking away from her.

If this isn't real, I can honestly say that I'm one step closer to being admitted to the state hospital. On the other hand, if it is real, what does it mean with her being in my life?

"Bella has breakfast ready for you." Alice said bringing me out of my thoughts again. Nodding, I get out of bed and then realize that I still have the IV in me. Panic sets in again when I see the saline bag still hanging from the headboard.

"Don't worry. It doesn't bother us." She said looking at my hand.

"Really." Not convinced.

"Yes. Really." She said, "You know Abby, we really need to work on your trust issues." With that, she opens the door and walks out.

I don't have trust issues!  
Walking to the door I stopped when I felt a tug on my hand. Realizing that I forgot Saline bag that we were just talking about and I walk over to it and grab it. Once in the dining room I look for somewhere to put it while I eat.

Alice takes the bag and sets it on the counter. She flashes to the trashcan and brings it back to the breakfast bar. Watching with fascination she takes the tape off and throws it away. She folds a piece of gauze and tears off a few strips of tape and places them on the bar. I look at her as she does this and I can see that she isn't breathing, neither is Bella, who is stirring some scrambled eggs for me.

Not wanting to distract her I just watch as she places the gauze over the needle inserted in my hand and pulls it out faster than I can see and tosses it placing the gauze over it and pressing down gently. Finally taping the gauze she bends over and ties up the trash bag and zips out of the kitchen. I hear the garage door open and close before she is standing right in front of me.

"That's...impressive." I said for a lack of a better word.

"Thank you." She said smiling.

I place my hand in my lap to keep the obvious wound out of sight. Bella places the plate of eggs in front of me along with a glass of juice. I nod my thanks and dig into the eggs. They're delicious! I feel like I haven't eaten in a week. I'm done in no time and Bella takes the plate and washes it and places it in the drain board.

"You don't have to do that you know." I said.

"I know. I don't mind though." Bella replied smiling at me.

I sit there and watch as she wipes down the oven and then dries the plate and pan in the blink of an eye. I guess that's one way of seeing that they're not human. The speed they use to do things. I look over at Alice and see that she's still watching me with a wary eye.

"You okay with this?" she asked.

"Uh. I'm dealing with it." I replied honestly.

She nods murmurs something to Bella in which Bella nods back.

"Um…" I try asking where Jamie is but am beat to the answer.

"He's at the school library doing some research." Alice replied.

I nod. This is so weird! I know I mentioned it a number of times but still…

"Abby."

"Yeah."

"I'm going to take you to our cabin in the mountains, but first I have to go run an errand." Alice stated.

"Okay." I answered. I'm not sure I want to meet a cabin full of vampires. I'm still figuring out these two. They seem so…normal…human. I don't know how to describe them.

"It's going to be okay." She reassured me.

I only nod.

"Why don't you take a shower and get ready. Bella will be here if you need anything."

"Um. I can take care of myself you know. Been doing it for almost thirty years now." I spoke a little irritated. I don't need a baby sitter.

"I know. It'll make me feel better knowing someone is here for you in case something happens." She answered. "Your body temperature was pretty low and I don't want any side effects to occur until we get to Carlisle."

"Who's…" I tried to say but am cut off.  
"Our father."

"Oh." Can vampires have kids? Let's add that to the already long list of questions I have for her.

"I'll explain on the way." She said and walks out the door leaving me and Bella staring after her.

I look over at Bella and see that she is watching me with a hint of amusement.

"You get used to her." She said.

Nodding, I slide off the stool and made my way back to the bedroom and a much needed shower.

An hour and a half later, we are sitting in the living room talking. The television is on but on low for some background noise. Bella has talked about meeting the Cullens and how she became one of them. I sit there intrigued by her story. Renesmee, her daughter, is a half vampire, half human. It's a fascinating story, one almost too real to believe. It would make for a great novel or two.

We steer off subject for a bit and she explains how Nessie, as everyone calls Renesmee, is looking forward to her first high school dance. She's worried about what will happen and how Nessie's boyfriend will take all the guys pining after his girl. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with that if he stays glued to her side, then that should tell the other guys to keep their hands and eyes off her. But, what am I thinking of? These are high school kids with raging hormones and will probably do anything stupid to get the attention of some half vampire and her possessive boyfriend. I see why she's worried.

We then talked a bit about our own high school dance experiences and both relate to how painful they were too. We are similar in many ways in our disinterest in the high school and the drama that surrounds it, preferring to be left at home reading a good book.

I told her how my grandparents met at a school dance in the fifties and had been together ever since my grandpa died a few years ago. Grandma didn't last much longer after he did. I guess when you love someone so much it's hard to live without him or her.

It happened as I was telling Bella this that her phone beeped and I received a sharp pain in my head. Not again. I close my eyes and rub my forehead and feel the familiar pull of being sent back in time.

Opening my eyes I am standing in a school gymnasium sometime in the fifties and there's a dance taking place.

You have got to be kidding me!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17

I stand there looking around and see kids dancing on the floor. It seems that all the movies and television shows I've watched growing up depicting the style of the fifties wasn't too far off the mark. It seems that these kids had better dance moves than the kids nowadays have. I recognize a few of the dance moves as the Jitterbug and some form of the Charleston.

Smiling at how much the kids are having fun and showing off their dancing skills, I look around to see if I could recognize anyone here. Not seeing anyone right off, I take in my surroundings instead.

The gym is smaller than they are now. The floor is wooden and had a shine to it that is getting more scuffed up by the minute. On the far end of the floor is a platform where the deejay is rockin the tunes on an old-fashioned, at least they are nowadays, turntable. If you have never seen a vinyl album just think of a bigger version of a CD that's black and has groves on both sides and is all black.

To the left of the deejay platform are the bleachers that are pulled out for the loners to sit and watch. That's where I would spend my time when I was forced to come to a dance. Seeing that there are a few boys and girls sitting on them I can guess that they would rather be anywhere but here.

One thing that did stand out as I looked around is the fashion. All the girls have some form of the poodle skirt on with a button up blouse. Some even had the signature scarf tied around their neck along with the saddle shoes, the famous black and white shoes with a small heel.

The guys all had ties and button up shirts. Some of the shirts are plaid while a majority of them are solid color, mostly white. The pants varied from black, khaki to gray or brown. Pretty conservative compared to how the kids dress today. There are even some guys wearing a jacket or cardigan.

I'm standing by the refreshment stand and see that it has the typical cookies and pastries that accompany all dances, at least when I was in school that was. It's been a few years. There are two large bowls full of…fruit punch. Taking a paper cup and filling it up to the brim I chug it down. Now, I'm not a fan of fruit punch and don't drink the stuff very much but I can tell there's something different about the stuff. Smacking my lips to figure out the difference, I shrug it off and scoop more into the cup.

After filling the cup five times and eating half a dozen cookies, I feel a pair of eyes on me and turn to see whom it was staring at me. In the next instant, I'm enveloped in a pair of cold stone arms and squeezed a little too tight. I groan at the contact and the tightness of the squeeze. Looking down I see the spiky haired vampire looking up at me with an ecstatic smile.

"You're okay, Abby." She marveled giving me a good look over.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked not knowing what she's talking about.

"You disappeared on my at the diner."

Oh. That.

"Sorry about that but my time was up there." I replied.

She just stares up at me with a look of surprise and confusion.

"Why are you here?" She asked, her tone turning serious.

"No idea." I answered. She just looked waiting for me to elaborate. "I was talking to…someone." I'm not sure how much she knows about Bella considering Bella isn't born for another thirty years or so. She told me about growing up in Arizona and visiting her father every summer in Washington but lets not lose track of the question at hand.

"About high school dances and, 'Poof', here I am. I'm not sure why I showed up. I mean a high school dance from the fifties doesn't even register on my top one hundred list of places to see." I feel like I'm rambling and feel like I have more to say when Alice pulls my collar causing me to bend closer to her. She places a finger on my lips and starts sniffing me. What. The…

Looking into my eyes she sniffs some more.

"How much fruit punch have you drank Abby?" she demanded.

"Uh. I don't know. Five or six." I answered wondering what's wrong with her. "I've never had fruit punch this good. I mean, I don't like it all that much but this

stuff is really, really good." I smile and take another huge swallow.

"That's because it's spiked." She exclaimed taking the cup out of my hand and placing it on the table.

"Really?" I asked. I guess that would explain the weird aftertaste I have.

"Yes!"

Not believing her I turn to the attendant and get his attention. A boy in his late teens with boyish looks walks over to Alice and I. He has a smile and probably can't believe someone as gorgeous as Alice wants to talk to him.

"Excuse me…" I look at him with expectation.

"Chet." He answered my unspoken question.

"Excuse me Chet, I was wondering what is in the punch?"

Whatever it was he assumed we wanted, it wasn't that. The smile falls off his face and he takes a step back. Clearly, he doesn't want to get in trouble. I raise my hands to reassure him.

"Dude, you're not in trouble. I just want to know."

"Vodka." He mumbled.

"What?" I shout over the music and lean closer to him.

"Vodka." He repeated.

"Really?" I asked a bit surprised. He nods

Never had Vodka and fruit punch before. It's pretty good. I look at him as he waits for his punishment.

"It's really good. You did a good job adding just the right amount of Vodka." I congratulated him. He smiles at that.

"ABBY!" Alice shouts from my side causing several people near us to look our way.

She grabs my arm and walks away from the refreshment table. I look back and see Chet laughing. We walk five or six steps before a man with glowing blue eyes stops us. He is wearing an impeccable dark suit and has his short dirty blonde hair combed back. Alice takes a step in front of me as if trying to protect me from this handsome creature. I say that because I have never seen anyone with glowing blue eyes.

He bows before us and as he rises he starts talking.

"My ladies."

We both look at him and wait.

"May I have the honor of this dance Mistress?" he asked in a deep voice.

I look at Alice, thinking that it's her he wants to dance with but quickly dismiss that when he grabs my elbow and escorts me to the dance floor. I look back at Alice in horror, not because he wants me to dance with him, but he's touching me. Her eyes have glazed over and she stands stock-still. I assume it's a vision she is having.

Once on the floor, he takes my right hand and pulls me close to him while his left sits on the small of my back. I can't help but stare into his strange eyes. He looks back at me with a sense of awe and admiration. I have no idea why, but he seems star struck by meeting me.

"Forgive me for being awed, Mistress, but I have been searching for you for a millennia."

"Why?" I asked clearly confused. Why would he be looking for me, I'm a nobody.

"You have by now, figured out what your ability is?"

"Sorta." I answered honestly.

"Then you should understand why I have spent all this time looking for you.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am your mother's advisor."

I quirk a brow and wait for his explanation.

"I have known your birth mother for a very long time and have been asked to find you and give you much needed advice."

"My mother?"

"Yes. She is trapped, if you will, and needs your assistance in helping her."

"Why?" I asked. I find it hard to see what it is I'm supposed to do for someone who gave me up and left with no word why she did that.

"You are the only one who can do it."

I want to tell him what I really think of my mother but he cuts me off. Why is everyone doing that?

"Please Mistress. I don't have much time here. Neither do you. Your mother is in trouble and only you can help her. She has left clues for you to find and follow. You must find these clues. If you cannot read them, your mentor will. She was selected by your mother and will have the knowledge that you need. Listen to her. Both of you may not be aware of it right now but you both need each other to complete this task. If not, then you will fail and that will not bode well for the rest of humanity. Do you understand me?"

He is very serious and I can tell right away that he means every word he told me.

"So, you're saying that I have to find clues my parent, who threw me away, in order to save her and humanity and that I have a mentor who will help me?"

"Your mother did not throw you away Mistress. She gave you to the only living family you have in order to protect you. One day you will see what her sacrifice has cost her. Please heed my advice and know that there are beings out there that will try and stop you from completing this. They are not pleased that she is still alive and can be brought back to rule."  
We stop dancing and he grabs my arms to make his point very clear.

"They will go to any lengths to stop you and that means they will use your family to stop you, if they haven't already. Surround yourself with those who will help and protect you. Trust them!"

Before I can reply to his statement he pushes us apart and I feel the familiar pull and the stabbing headache. I blink several times and see myself moving through time and stop when I'm back in my living room. Bella is standing in the same spot I left her in and still on the phone, with Alice, I imagine. I'm pretty certain that Alice isn't happy that some strange looking guy pulled me to the dance floor to talk about my mother and what I'm supposed to do. Then, disappear on her…again.

I hear Bella muttering something too low and fast for me to hear. Getting myself reoriented I feel the phone being pressed into my hands and it being lifted up to my ear.

"Abby!" Alice said sounding frantic.

"Yeah." I replied.

"Your okay?"

"Yeah."

"Who was that man?"

"I don't know but he's sure a buzz killer." I stated.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18

Alice hangs up and I hand the phone back to Bella. Sensing her worried look and unasked question I tell her that I ended up at a dance in 1958.

"How long was I gone?" I asked sitting down because the alcohol is affecting me more now than when I was in 1958. Weird.

Bella sits down too.

"Not long. Maybe a few minutes at most."

I nod and lay my head against the back of the couch. I put my hands on my head to keep it from spinning but it doesn't help.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because you reek of alcohol and you look like you could pass out any minute," she replied.

"Oh."

"Want to explain a bit more?"

"Apparently, the student population has been spiking the punch bowl for a long time now."

"Oh." She said a bit amused.

We sit there in silence for a few minutes before I can't stand it anymore and start humming a tune. My eyes closed and tapping my foot, I hum Adele's new song and pretend it's me singing those high notes.

Just as I was really getting into the song, the door bangs open and a very worried Alice flash in front of me. Before I can tell her I'm okay she starts feeling my over for injuries, I assume. Every time I try to bat her hands away she's moved to another part of my body. I finally get fed up and pull my knees up to my chest and swat at her shoulders to stop, which she reluctantly does.

We stare at each other waiting for the other to say or do something. I notice that her eyes are a darker shade of gold. I wonder…

"Hey. Your eyes are somewhat back the cool gold color. Does that mean that you…took a bite out of something?" I grin at my little joke.

She raises her brows and glances over at a chuckling Bella. Standing up straight, she pulls me up with her.

"Come on Abby, we're going to see Carlisle."

She flashes to my room and back carrying my bag. Then, she zips to the kitchen and grabs four bottles of water. Standing in front of me, she flicks off the cap and holds out one bottle for me to drink. I blink a couple times to get reoriented. Watching her move that fast makes me dizzy.

"Drink." She orders.

I take the bottle and take a few swallows and, as I'm lower it, Alice stops me and lifts it back up to my mouth.

"More. More." She holds the bottle up until I've drank almost two-thirds of it before she takes her hand away.

"Believe me Abby, you'll thank me tomorrow." With that, she places my bag around my neck and walks back to the open door. I place my arm through the strap and move the bag to my side and follow suit. At least I try. The ground seems to suddenly start moving around and I'm sure I look like a fool walking. Finally, fed up with my antics, Alice lifts me and walks out to a very large Jeep. She sets me down and I swear that the bottom of the Jeep almost reaches to my waist.

Alice opens the door and hauls me up and into the vehicle. Before I can sit up and get situated, both girls are inside and the Jeep is fired up.

"Seatbelt, Abby." Is Alice's only warning before she steps on the accelerator and we're flying down the street.

Taking the bag off and laying it beside me, I ignore Alice's advice about a seatbelt and scoot to the edge of the seat and lean over the front seats with my elbows on my knees.

"So." I said but Alice cuts me off.

"Abby, please put your seatbelt on. Then, explain who that man was and what he wanted." She commands.

"Geez. You don't have to be all demanding about it." I said flailing my hands.

Instead of putting my seatbelt on I tell her and Bella who the glowing blue-eyed stranger was and his advice and warning. Neither one looks too happy about that revelation.

"He didn't say his name or any details about who my mentor is. I'm assuming the journal is one clue." Before either of them could say anything I just jabbered on. "Hey were you able to read it and understand what it said? I mean, I looked at it and couldn't make anything out of it. Looked like it was written in Russia or Polish or something."

Alice swerves around a truck and causes me to slide from one side then the other.

"That was fun. Do it again." I stated grinning. Bella laughs.

"Abby. Put your seatbelt on or I'm going to tie you to the seat." Alice ordered.

I comply and cross my arms like a petulant child muttering that she's no fun. Bella looks out her window trying to hide her grin.

Getting over my bad mood fairly quickly I lean forward again.

"Question." I said.

"No. Carlisle isn't our real father. He's an adopted father." Alice replied.

"Oh. I was wondering how that worked. Been thinking about the Addam's family and if you all are like that." I wondered.

That caused both girls to laugh out loud. I hear them muttering to one another and then both start laughing hysterically.

"Care to share." I said feeling left out.

"We were discussing who Cousin It would be and agreed that would be Jacob." Bella replied.

"Who's Jacob?"

"That's Nessie's boyfriend."

"Oh. Okay. Why would he be Cousin It?"

"Because Abby. He's a shape shifter." Bella answered.

"A what?"

"He changes into a wolf." Bella said.

"Really!" I asked intrigued.

"Yes. You somewhat met one of his pack members the other night. Seth."

"Huh. Is that why his skin was so hot?" I asked.

"Yes. They have a higher body temperature than humans."

"Huh. That's why he went to bed with me then?" That sounded way too intimate!

"Yes, Abby. That's why I had him get into bed with you. Your core body temperature was extremely low and I needed to raise it as quickly as possible but not fast enough that it would cause you to go into a hypothermic shock." Alice replied.

"Oh. Well, Thanks!"

It felt awkward when he first climbed in my bed, but I was so cold that I didn't fight it. It felt good. His warmth seeping into me and after a while I was warm enough to fall asleep. I don't know how long he was there but I got so hot that I started sweating. I think I tried kicking him away from me but can't really remember that.

"So, what else is out there that's real and everyone assumes is not? Walking mummies, zombies. Oh. Oh. What about werewolves?" I asked excited.

"No to the first two and yes to the last. But, they were wiped out centuries ago." Alice replied handing me another bottle of water. I down that one just like the first bottle.

"Werewolves were real?" I asked.

"Yes. And, yes the stories about them are real. One of the few things that everyone got right."

She goes on to explain how some guy named Caius or Casius was almost attacked by one and made it his mission to wipe out the whole species. By the time the story is over we were driving up a private drive to their home. We, or Alice, drove for a little over two hours, through Denver's traffic and on an icy Interstate 70 into the heart of ski country. Normally, that drive takes about four to five hours on a nice day.

When we reach the end of the drive, a sprawling log 'mansion' lay before us. It has to be, at least, over eight thousand square feet with a wrap around deck. The deck sits above the ground level and has stairs on both ends of the house that lead to the second level. The second level has an open air to it with windows covering most of the front side. There are windows everywhere. The lights on inside give the home a serene feel to it.

Alice stops in front of the house and I sit there gaping at it. I only see what these houses look like on the Discovery Channel or the Internet.

"It's smaller than what our other houses look like, but it'll do." Alice admitted shrugging.

"This is smaller than your other houses?" I asked amazed. How many houses do they own?

"Yes. Esme is making plans to expand it."

"Esme?" I asked. That's an unusual name.

"Our mother." Bella answered.

"Oh."

We get out of the car and I immediately wished I had brought a coat with me. The temperature has dropped considerably since we left Colorado Springs and there is still snow on the ground, a lot of snow. The sun set about half an hour ago too. Alice opens the back of the Jeep and throws a coat at me that hits my face. I muffled thanks and put the coat on. She, then, swings an overnight bag over her shoulder.

We start walking up the stairs and I stagger and trip on a step hitting my knee. Guess the alcohol is still affecting me.

"Ow."

Much to Bella's amusement and Alice's annoyance, they come back down and grab me by the elbows and lift me up the stairs. We get to the top and before we reach the front door, Alice stops and her eyes glaze over. I wave my hand in front of her seeing if she sees what I am doing. She doesn't.

"That's interesting." I whispered.

"She's having a vision." Bella whispered back watching Alice.

"Back door." Is her only response.

They lift me back up and head to the back of the house. I'm having so much fun being carried that I start swinging my legs.

"This is almost as fun as an amusement park ride." I stated grinning.

We reach the back door and they set me down. Walking inside, I am immediately wrapped in warmth. It's coming up from the floor. Heated floors! How cool is that?

Bella takes off one way and Alice, with her arm around my waist, leads me the other way. Everything inside is made from wood. I guess it would since it is a log home. We reach the kitchen and I gape at the sheer size of it. It's bigger than my kitchen, dining room and living room combined.

It has state of the art appliances and a large island in the middle. She leads me to one side of the island and pulls out a stool and orders me to sit. I obey and continue to look around.

On the other side of the kitchen I can see the dining room. It has a large oak table with twelve chairs around it. There is a hutch made of the same oak color. I can't see inside but I'm pretty sure the expensive china dishes are sitting inside.

Looking around the kitchen, I see that a rack hangs in the middle of the island and has black pots and pans hanging from it. I reach up and tap two of them and watch as they sway. Off to the left of the kitchen is a butler's pantry and it looks stocked full. Cabinets of various sizes make up most of the opposite wall.

Alice slides a plate with a sandwich and a little bit of chips on it my way. I look down at look back at her, for clarification.

"It's turkey and ham." She said smiling at me.

Nodding, I take a bite and am satisfied so I take another bite. She watches me and I can see a mischievous grin form. Wondering what she has up her sleeve I pick up a chip and get ready to eat it when I hear a familiar voice coming from behind me.

"Hello Abigail."

I freeze because I know who it belongs to. I swallow and take deep breath before I look over my left shoulder. Standing not two feet away is Tanya and Kate and both sporting huge grins.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 19

TANYA'S POV

It has been almost a hundred and one years since I last saw my mate. Believe me, they were not very pleasant years either. It was made even harder the last few years when I lost my dear sister, Irina, to the Volturi and then Kate met her mate, Garrett. It was especially painful to watch them fall in love and connect almost immediately. It made me ache for my mate and the pain became more unbearable as the days went by. Standing out here, in the snow covered landscape of Alaska, like I have done many a countless day over the last century, my mind goes back to that night on Titanic and when I first laid eyes on her.

My sisters and I were amusing ourselves with the Astors and Guggenheims at dinner when I saw a flash of light that came from behind me. Carmen and Eleazar decided not to join us on this trip and opted to stay and visit Spain once more.

I looked around and saw the strangest human staring in wonder at her surroundings. She had a small device that would make a bright light flash every so often. I now know that it was a digital camera, but a hundred years ago it seemed so out of place. Even her attire was different. Not even the third class passengers wore what she was wearing.

The young woman seemed transfixed by her surroundings; it looked, as if she had never seen people of this class before. I watched her walk out of my sight and I couldn't help but know who this woman was. I felt a pull towards her and could do nothing but obey this instinct.

I excused myself, much to my sisters' confusion, and followed her scent down the main staircase to the lower decks. It was a heady scent too. An earthy smell mixed with something else I cannot put my finger on. Whatever it was, it made my senses go into overdrive. I had to find out more about this human.

I hear her muttering to herself and see that she has stopped at the bottom of E deck. She seemed immersed in a piece of paper. I descend the last few steps and stop just above her and see that she was looking at directions and it seemed she couldn't find her way to some place on the ship. I silently inhale her heavenly scent and almost regret it. The venom pooling in my mouth caused me to lock myself in place. That has never happened in a very long time.

This must have set off her instincts too because her heartbeat increased and she froze. I watched as she folded the paper up and stuck it in her pocket. She turned around and stared up at me. When our eyes met I knew instantly this strange human was my mate. She tried to back away from me but I matched her step for step until she bumped into the wall across from us. I took that as an opportunity to make myself acquainted with her.

I leaned into her and pressed my nose close to her neck, which caused her to turn away from me. That was a bad idea Love. I inhaled several times and wrapped her heavenly scent around me, it made my eyes roll back and that had never happened in all my existence. I muttered my approval and that caused my mate shiver, whether it was from delight or fear, I did not care.

When I asked where she was going she only stuttered. I wonder what kind of effect I had on her and if she felt the pull of the mating bond that I felt. She told me that she was looking for the third class dining facilities. I committed her lovely voice to memory. I could listen to her lovely voice forever and hope to do so. It was her voice that kept me near to insanity over the years. When I heard a voice similar to hers I would set off in search of my mate only to return home disappointed.

After I told the human I would join her in the third class, I went in search of clothes that would be more suitable for a third class passenger. It was then that Kate and Irina found me and forced me to tell them what had happened. They both were happy that I found my mate, but concerned that she was a human. It was meaningless on their part because I would never do anything to harm my mate even if it caused me great pain.

We followed her scent down to F deck and followed the familiar sounds of music coming down the hall. I was a bit upset by her not listening to me to wait but understood that she must have listened to her instincts to run and hide.

Upon entering the dining hall I spotted Abigail several feet away holding a mug of ale. She was talking to a Russian peasant and I knew he tried to press his charms onto her. That made me growl and do serious harm to him. If Irina and Kate were not there to stop me, I probably would have. I walked up behind Abigail and watched as the Russian ask her to dance but changed his mind when he saw us standing there.

After I told her what he said someone grabbed Abigail's hand and dragged her to the floor. I grabbed her other hand and followed. The tingling that ran up my arm and into my chest was a sure sign that she was my mate. We spent the next few hours dancing or watching others dance and sing. Several times someone would approach us and ask for a dance but I declined and, to my delight, so did Abigail.

Kate suggested that we take Abigail up to the boat deck and get her some fresh air. Seeing that she was getting a bit unstable on her feet, Kate stopped her drinking after someone had handed her her eighth mug of ale. I had spent the entire evening trying to figure out the strange human and it was not until the ship hit the iceberg and the panic in Abigail's eyes that Irina figured out the truth behind her behavior.

I'm not sure whether I'm happy that she can time travel. At first, I was happy that my mate has an ability but over the years I saw differently. If she could go back in time, and she could, how much of the past does she change when she goes back? Were we destined to meet on that ship or was it some chance that she chose Titanic to visit and I was there at the same time? I spent the last century pondering these questions.

Irina's theory was confirmed when Abigail cried out and then disappeared on us. Panic set in and we took off in search of her. It is difficult to describe but I still felt her on the ship. Kate and Irina went and looked around the first and second-class decks. I went down to F deck and found her trying to break the bars from a locked gate. Ecstatic that I found her, I ripped the gate from the wall and carried Abigail up to C deck. I saw that she was trying to figure out what I was and make sense of the 'inhuman' strength I displayed downstairs. I was too worried for her safety to think about anything else. When asked again I took a chance and kissed her. It was divine. Before I could go further, I was yanked back and thrown through three walls and stopped myself before going through the fourth.

I was too absorbed with Abigail that I failed to realize that there was another creature there hunting. One that even made the vampires weary and that was a shifter. Not a shape shifter, one who could change into an animal, but one that can change his or her appearance to take the look of another human. They even replicate their scent to fit in. They are cunning creatures and do not follow anyone, human or others, laws. They only do and take for themselves.

Not many people know of this superstition and nor do we want them to know. I have only met one once before, in the late fourteenth century. It took all mine, Kate and Irina's ability to destroy the thing and now it has my mate. The only thing on our side is that the ship is sinking and many of the humans are above deck. It would be difficult for him to shift into someone that is not close to him.

Kate is by my side immediately and I tell who is here. She nods her understanding and we charge the shifter. I have never seen one this big before. They are usually small and delicate creatures. He was concentrating too much on my mate to notice we were there and we tackled him. Kate, then, used her ability to immobilize him. Irina took Abigail to the boat deck while we destroyed the shifter.

It was too easy taking him out and that did not sit well with Kate or me. His taunt to Abigail brought back a memory from a very long time ago when I was still a newborn. It's a story that became a legend and then an old wives tale. I was too preoccupied with my mate to think about it at the time, but I now believe the story is true in all its forms.

After I kissed Abigail again and threw her into the ocean, I knew our time was running out. If she was meant to witness the sinking of the ship she would have to stay here until it went under or enough of it to return to her own time. When Kate and Irina said her their goodbyes I am left alone with her. I could see the distress in her face as she sees and hears the people around her. I tried to comfort he but I could tell it didn't' work. It was then she told me how long I would have to wait to see her again and I thought my dead heart would break. After that, she disappeared.

Throughout the last century I have spent my time between periods of anger and desperation. Anger, because I am not with my mate. I guess it was desperation that made me go after the Cullen's son Edward. It was also desperation to make me forget about her and try to live a normal life. It didn't work. Edward was the only member of their coven that did not have a mate. He did reject my advances and on some level I am glad that he did.

We came across the Cullen's when they moved up to Alaska in the sixties. It was then that Alice told her story of meeting Abigail in the diner right before she met her mate, Jasper. I made her describe the human and knew that it was the same person. After telling Alice my own story, we made a deal to help each other out in finding this elusive time traveler.

It took another five decades to hear from Alice again. I knew Abigail was alive and somewhere in the country but could not pinpoint her. Alice had tracked her down in Colorado and found the store she worked at. If my heart were beating it would jump for joy at hearing the news. I immediately made reservations on the next flight out of Alaska and to join the Cullens at their home. I had never been through the state but I know it is beautiful. They had bought it a month ago and decided that they liked it enough to start making renovations.

The reason I did not come sooner was because Alice made me wait. She saw that if I arrived sooner it would make the bond between us longer to form and almost not to form at all. I did not want to jeopardize the bond and so I waited.

We arrived at the house at five p.m. and were told that Alice would arrive within the hour. It was the longest hour in my existence. If it hadn't been for Jasper's gift, I most likely would have driven myself mad. I spent the hour either pacing the family room or sitting stock-still. I could tell Kate was anxious to meet Abigail too. She spent the last century worrying about how her new sister was doing.

I sighed when I heard the car approaching the house. Finally, I can be reunited with my mate. Hearing them get out of the car and Abigail tripping on a step, I almost launched out the door to see if she was okay, but was stopped by Kate and Carmen. They sat on either side of me and kept me there. Alice called and said to wait to meet Abigail because it would make her too agitated if we all showed up at one time. Abigail just found out that morning what we were. I'm worried how she will take the news of me being her mate and that I'm a vampire.

Listening to them outside I become distracted by her behavior. It almost sounds like she is drunk again. I look at Kate and see her chuckling. She must assume the same thing. When they enter the house everyone freezes when we are assaulted by her scent. It has been too long since I have smelled her and it takes all my centuries of control to keep me on this couch.

A very amused Bella walks in and tells Kate and I to wait five minutes while Alice fixes her something to eat. During this time, she tells us about Abigail's latest jaunt back to a 1958 dance and drank a few too many cups of spike fruit punch. Everyone in the room chuckles at Abigail's low tolerance to alcohol.

Kate and I, finally, walk at a slow human pace to the kitchen. As we get closer, her scent gets stronger and it's just the same as I remember on Titanic. She is sitting at the kitchen island eating. I see Alice give a slight nod and a huge grin as she keeps Abigail's attention. I walk right up to her and stare in wonder at how beautiful she is.

"Hello, Abigail." I said and am rewarded when she turns to look at me.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 20

I blink several times to make sure I'm seeing Tanya and Kate standing beside me. The chip I had crumbled back onto the plate. I turn and look at Alice for any kind of confirmation and she just waits for my reaction. Instead of looking back at the two vampires next to me, I make a rash decision and launch across the island sending pots and other things scattering. All three ladies stare at my agility to get across the island. Two of them have amused looks while the third is sad.

"Care to explain what that was Abby." Alice said.

"No." I said standing behind her. I start pulling on my fingers to keep from having

a complete meltdown. It's a habit I picked up when I was a kid.

Staring into the dining room to keep myself from looking at the three vampires I try to focus on the soft color of the room. It has a cozy feeling to it. I have no idea why I'm acting this way. I'm sure if my mom were here, she would reprimand me for my rude behavior. I feel so overwhelmed right now I don't know what to do. All the control I gained after my husband died is slipping away from me and that scares the hell out of me.

As the panic starts building, I am suddenly overcome by a calm feeling. It may not seem right, but I welcome it anyway.

"That's alright Alice. I've spent almost a thousand years looking for my mate, I can spend a couple more days until she gets used to me." Tanya said.

Wait. What did she just say? She's been around for almost a thousand years?

"What did you just say?" I asked dumbfounded.

"I said I've been around for almost a thousand years Abigail."

"Are you…are you…you're kidding right?" I asked.

"No, I'm not kidding."

My head is trying to soak in what she just told me. A thousand years! I can only imagine what she has experienced and the people she met. I turn my full attention to her and wait for her to continue but she just stares back at me waiting for me to freak out or something of that nature, but I'm too stunned. I look at Kate and see if she's going to say anything to contradict what Tanya said.

"I'm ten years younger than Tanya." She stated.

Whoa!

"So…you were around when William the Conqueror invaded England?" I asked. That's the only event I can remember off the top of my head to ask.

"Yes. We knew him. He was an arrogant ass in my opinion." Kate answered.

"He did lead the Vikings away from our village Kate." Tanya said.

What? My mouth gapes and I can think of nothing to ask. I mean I have a zillion questions but they are so jumbled right now I can't form one to ask.

Alice looks at me with a bit of concern.

"Abby, are you okay?"

What?" I said looking at her.

"I said are you okay with them telling you how old they are? You're not freaking out like I saw you doing earlier."

"Are you kidding? They're every historian's wet dream." I admitted. It's true. I can't imagine what my professors would do or say if they were in my shoes right now.

"Nice." Kate said, "I've never been called that one."

"I can be your wet dream, Abigail." Tanya said staring at me and sending a chill up my back. I bulk at her admission. She did not just say that? But, then again, I can't believe what I just said. Both Kate and Alice laugh.

"If you all will excuse me, I need to see my mate, I've been gone from him for too long. And, Abby, the bathroom is upstairs, first door on the right." With that she's gone.

I stare after her. Why did she leave me alone with these two? I look back to Tanya and Kate but see Kate standing by herself. Looking around to see where Tanya went and I automatically take two steps back when I see that she is standing right next to me. I mean there are only a few inches between us. Just like on the ship, she takes two steps forward. I look over to Kate to enlist her help but she has disappeared too. Great!

"Abigail. You have no idea what this past century has been like for me," she whispered into my ear.

I shiver again at her breath tickling my skin. She doesn't miss it either. As I lean away from her she follows me and I hear her inhale. What is it with vampires sniffing me? Do I smell that bad or that good? Then, It hits me.

"Where's Irina?" I asked trying to steer the conversation away from me and it works.

She pulls back and closes her eyes. When she opens them again, I can see sadness cloud them.

"She's no longer here."

"Do you mean…?" I try to ask but can't finish. She's dead. I mean, not like dead as in vampire dead, but dead, dead.

"Yes."

I see tears forming and wonder why none have fallen. I breaks my heart to see her like this. I mean, I don't know her that well, but to lose a sister is heartbreaking, especially if she was as old as Tanya and Kate.

"Sorry." I apologized.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Irina made a terrible mistake and it cost her." Tanya stated.

I'm not sure, but I think she's a little angry. Before I can say anything else, my stomach lets its presence known. I also feel the urge to relieve myself. Alice is right…again.

Tanya chuckles at me and I slip away from her. She goes to follow and I stop her.

"Have to pee." I stated. Even though, the alcohol feels like its worn off, I still feel a little buzzed.

"Okay." She replied.

I find the stairs down the hallway I came through earlier and start climbling them. Tanya follows me and I feel her hand rest on the small of my back. I flinch at the contact and try to swat her hand away but she only grabs that instead.

"I don't like being touched." I admitted.

"That's too bad because I plan on doing it a lot now that you're here."

When she said that it brought back a statement she said earlier about waiting for her mate. I was too distracted by her age than I was by the mate part.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

We reached the top of the stairs and I look into the first door I see and see that it's the bathroom. It's huge. It shouldn't surprise me that everything here is huge but it does. I walk inside and flip the switch. Tanya tries to step in but I place my hand on her chest and immediately retract it. She smiles mischievously at me then.

"Eager to start pleasing me Abigail?"

"What? No." I said and close the door in her face.

After I flushed the toilet and wash my hands, I hesitate to open the door because I know Tanya is still behind it. Instead I pace the length of the room, pulling on my fingers again. It's very inviting and has the same color skim as the dining only the colors are a bit darker up here. The shower and bathtub are separate and large enough to hold more than one person. Why am I thinking about that?

"Abigail. I know your done and if you don't open the door in the next ten seconds I'm coming in whether you like it or not."

Taking a deep breath I open the door. As predicted, she's right in front of it.

We stare at each other for a minute. I see her eyes darkening as I look. I still don't think that's a good thing. She grabs my hand and leads me back downstairs. Instead of walking back to the kitchen like I hoped because I'm starving, she leads me the opposite way. We pass the back door and continue down another flight of stairs.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Time for you to meet the rest of the family." She said.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 21

Once we reached the bottom, I look around and see eleven pairs of gold eyes. All vampires. Great! They're all looking at me with smiles. I assume both Alice and Tanya have told their "families" about me. Tanya tries to pull me further into the family room but I stop her. I feel really self-conscious right now and very intimidated. All these beautiful people make me feel like a fat ugly person.

It was thinking this when I am suddenly overcome by a sense of calm and relaxation. That is weird. Tanya starts naming all the vampires around and they say hello. I can tell they want to approach me and give me a hug, but I think they heard me tell Tanya that I don't like to be touched. She's also going too fast for me to remember them all. Some even tell me that they are happy to finally meet the newest family member. What?

Tanya introduces me to a hulk of a man named Emmett and I would have been scared of him if it hadn't been for the cute dimples he's sporting. Instead of saying hello he flashes over to me and picks me up into a bear hug. It happened so fast I don't have time to brace myself. After he swings me around a couple times he sets me down and ruffles my head.

"It's great to finally meet you Abster." He booms.

I swat his hand away but he laughs and ruffles my hair again. He reminds me of my older brother, Josiah. He always ruffles my hair when he sees me. I hate it when he does it and he knows I hate it, which makes him do it anyways.

"Yeah. Good to meet you too." I said backing up two steps.

"Abby. This is my mate, Jasper." Alice said her arms wrapped around a tall blonde.

I flinch when she tells me his name. It can't be? No, no way is that possible. I look back and forth between the two. Alice's smile falls and is replaced by a frown. My mouth moves but no words come out. Jasper looks at me with such intense that I have no idea what he is doing. I feel the calm wrap around me but it does little to help the turmoil inside of me.

I hear people talking but I'm too focused on Alice and her mate. I start backing up and Tanya tries to grab my face but I turn around and ascend the stairs, two at a time and run out the back door.

The temperature has dropped considerably and I see snowflakes coming down. I feel the panic attack coming on and can do nothing to stop it. My mind is on my imaginary friend from so long ago, Mary Alice. I start pacing along some tire tracks in the snow and mutter how this is impossible and how it can't be true. There's no way that Alice is the same person from my imagination. It's not possible.

After I stumble my way about a hundred feet away from the house, I take deep breaths to try and calm myself down. The cold doesn't help like I thought it would. Instead, it causes me to shiver and I clench my fists to keep them from shaking.

As I make another turn away from the house, Alice steps in front of me and places her hands on my face. I see Tanya off to my left. Both are worried.

"Abby, what's wrong?"

I only look at her. I mean I take a good look at her. The short spiky hair looks as if it were shaved and in the process of growing back. If I look hard enough and imagine brown eyes instead of the dark gold, I see Mary Alice standing in front of me. I think back to the last time I saw her lying in the forest. I thought she died, but what if…

"Abby." Alice said a bit forcibly.

I look from her to Tanya.

"Please tell us what's troubling you Abigail." Tanya said.

I look back to Alice.

"You can't be her." I whispered.

"Who?" she asked.

"Mary Alice." I said.

"That's my full name, yes." Alice replied.

"Not again." I said as the pain comes full force.

I collapse to my knees and grab my head. I feel cold air and hear Alice tell someone that I'm about to go back. My nose starts running and I run the back of my hand across my nose and pull away to see blood. That's not good. As the three vampires go to grab me, I disappear.

I open my eyes and see that I'm kneeling in an attic. I can smell the mothballs that give off a musky scent. Looking around, I see several trunks stacked in several places. The windows, two small ones, add a little light to the room but it's mostly in shadows.

Standing up I grab my nose again and see that it's stopped bleeding, but the stain is still on my hands and I'm sure my face.

"I knew you would come back to me," a voice said off to my right.

I walk around a stack of trunks and see a familiar girl sitting by the window staring out. She never looks up to see me but I know who it is.

"Mary Alice!" I called and run over to her.

She looks at me as I kneel down to her level. She is a sight for sore eyes. Smiling back she leans forward and touches foreheads with me.

"I knew you would be back Abby." She said.

She grabs my face and beams at me. I see that this is a younger version of her. She looks about twelve years old here.

"Please tell me you're real." I said tears falling.

"I have always told you that I was real. Every time you came to see me." she explained wiping the tears away.

"So, I've been going back in time since I was four." I said.

"Yes. Your mother made sure you would come to see me and not anyone else. She's a very wise woman and only wants what's best for you." Mary Alice said.

"I don't understand." I confessed.

"I know but in time you will."

We sit there looking at each other for a minute.

"How many times have you gone back, Abby?" She asked.

"In the last week, four." I answered.

"Then you are on the path of fulfilling your destiny." She said with a small smile.

I slouch and hang my head.

"What if it's a destiny I don't want or can't fulfill?" I asked.

"You have had a very difficult life Abby, one that most people could not deal with but you have dealt with it and overcome the obstacles that were laid before you. These obstacles have made you who you are and prepared you for what you need to do. Don't underestimate yourself."

"I can't even control my gift." I stated.

"You are more in control of your gift than you realize Abby."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about the times you went back and the one thing that connects them all together."

I kneel there thinking. I wanted to see her and Titanic but the others I can't think of why.

"I wanted to see you when I was younger."

"Yes." She said smiling.

"I also wanted to see a ship before it sank."

"Titanic?" she asked.

I raise my brows.

"It went down yesterday morning. We're waiting for news on how many have passed." She answered.

"I wanted to see what it looked like."

"Okay. What else?"

"I don't know why I went to the other two places." I replied.

"Yes you do Abby."

I looked at her when I thought about the dance and the diner.

"I was looking at a picture of a diner and wished I could see what one really looked like."

"Correct."

"It was the same way with a dance."

"There you have it. You set your mind to what you wanted and you were able to go there." She explained.

It made sense. I did have them on my mind when I went back. I never thought about it until now.

"I missed you." I whispered.

"But, I'm back now and will not leave you again." She said reassuring me.

"You really are her?" I asked in wonder.

"Yes. I told you when we were younger that I saw myself different and you see the new me."

"I didn't figure it out until recently." I admitted.

"I know and that is why you came back to see me."

"I'm so confused."

"I know."

"Did my mother tell you why it was you and not someone else?" I asked.

"Yes and you will figure it out when you go back."

"How so?" I asked.

"I never told my last name did I?"

I shake my head.

"It's Brandon."

I flinch because I've seen that name before.

"Once you reveal the link to me, it will make the bond we have stronger. You know where to look?" she asked.

I nod.

"Good. There are other links that will be revealed and once known, will make the bond they have stronger. Let them help you Abby. They will be there to guide, protect and even love you. Please let them in. Let yourself go and learn to love again. You have closed yourself off and it's time to open up again."

I bite my upper lip because I know she's right. I did close myself off from everyone around me. It was easier to deal with.

"It's time for you to go back." She said.

I nod and slowly stand up and walk back to my spot.

"Abby."  
"Yeah?" I asked turning to see her.

"Am I as beautiful as I saw myself?" She asked.

"You're always beautiful." I answered.

We both smile.

When I return to the Cullen home, I keep my eyes closed. I'm still on the snow and feel the cold seep into me but I'm too immersed in my thoughts to care. Mary Alice knows how to get the gears going in my head.

I open my eyes and see a blonde hair man; I think his name is Carlisle, looking back at me. I flinch away from him but he grabs my arms gently.

"How do you feel Abigail?" he asked with a gentleness I wasn't expecting.

"Uh. Other than the headache forming behind my right eye, cold."

He nods.

"I see. I want to do a full exam and make sure nothing serious is wrong."

"Um."

I look up at Alice and see her glare at me daring me to decline the offer. I flinch and look over to Tanya only to see she's sporting the same look.

"Okay." I mumbled.

I go to stand up and stagger a little. The cold is making my joints stiff. Carlisle steadies me and makes sure I don't fall over. Once I'm steady, we walk to the house. Alice and Tanya are on either side of me and Tanya has her arms around my waist. I'm too lost in my thoughts to rebuke her touch.

"Before you exam me, I have to check something first." I stated to everyone in hearing range, meaning all the vampires there.

"Really, Abby, can't it wait?" Alice asked.

"No. It can't. Please tell me you bought my laptop with us." I pleaded with her.

"Jamie has and they just arrived." Alice answered.

"They?"

"Edward and Jacob went down to get Nessie and brought Jamie along."

"Oh. Good." I said. I have no idea why she would have Jamie come up but am too distracted to ask.

We are almost to the house when I freeze. I still have the blood on my hand and probably my face. Looking down at my hand I see it and have a slight panic attack. Blood and vampires do not go good together.

Alice and Tanya senses my hesitation and me looking at my hand.

"It's okay Abby, we're all too in control of our bloodlust for it to bother us." Tanya confessed.

"That and it smells…different." Alice added.

"Is that good or bad?" I asked.

"I don't know yet."

We reach the house and I see two figures standing outside waiting for us. I didn't realize how much I wondered off during my little freak out. I think it's Esme and Carmen but not sure. They are the same height. One has dark brunette hair while the other has black. The black haired woman has a light olive tone and looks Hispanic. They both look worried.

"Sorry for the little freak out." I said.

"It's okay Abby, we're just relieved that you're okay." Esme answered handing me a washcloth to clean off the blood.

On the deck, I kick off my shoes before entering back into the house. I don't want to track the snow it and it was a good idea too because I can feel the heat radiating from the floor.

I walk into the kitchen and see that most of the people have congregated there. There are two new people I haven't met yet and Jamie. He looks a little pale.

"You okay Jamie?" I asked sitting down next to him at the kitchen island.

"Yeah Chief. It's just that Edward here." He points to the new vampire.

"Makes Dale Earnhardt Jr. look like an old grandma driving."

"Oh." I said and waved to Edward. He nods and smiles at us.

"You weren't affected by their driving?" Jamie asked.

"No."

And, I wasn't. Guess alcohol has its benefits. I see Edward laughing.

"Why?" Jamie asked.

"I guess I was too drunk to notice." I said.

He only glares at me. I just shrug back.

The laptop is open and booted. I click on my genealogy software and click through it. Everyone is waiting for me to explain. As I think about how to explain this new revelation both Edward and Alice flinch and turn to statues. I look between them and see that they don't plan on moving anytime soon and ignore them for the moment.

"When I was younger, I had a hard time dealing with everything around me. A new home and a new family were just some of the stuff I dealt with. My aunt, who adopted me after my mother left, helped me. She was interested in her family history and wanted me to know about my father and his family." I start to explain.

"My father was the youngest of four kids and my aunt was the oldest. Their mother, my grandmother, was the second and only girl of three. Grandma Mary would tell stories of her childhood and how much she loved her mother and I sometimes saw sadness when she talked of her mother's childhood. Great grandma died when I was eleven and I could relate to her sadness because she lost her whole family by the time she was ten. After her father died, she was shipped north to live with an aunt on her mother's side."

"I heard these stories and when I was old enough I started researching records to find out what happened to them all. When I came across my Great grandmother's sister's death certificate it made no sense to me. Grandma said that her aunt died in 1919 but the death certificate said 1920, two counties over. You have no idea how long it took for me to find that."

"I later found out that she was institutionalized and my great-great grandfather told my great grandma a lie. Being the history geek that I am I researched the culture of the time and found out that a lot of people were but into asylums for various reasons and that the families were too ashamed to tell anyone." I said.

I look around and see that everyone is not moving and I have their undivided attention…I think. Emmett is the first to unfreeze and talk.

"Okay. So what does that have to do with anything?"

"My great grandmother's name was Cynthia Leigh Brandon."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22

I look around and see that all the vampires are not moving, not even breathing. It's kind of unnerving to witness.

"What happened to them?" Jamie whispered from my side.

"I think they're in shock." I answered.

"What do we do?" he whispered again.

"No idea." I shrugged.

Feeling the urge to do something and feeling a little confused by the reaction, I reach over and close the laptop but a hand stops me. Looking around, I see Alice has unglued herself and looks at me with an intensity that I flinch. She sees my reaction and softens. After giving me a small smile she lifts the monitor back up and brings the laptop closer to her with one hand while the other is grasping mine.

"Can someone please explain the freak out to us humans." Jamie said looking at everyone moving again.

"Alice is Abby's Great Aunt." Tanya announced from behind me.

I don't think I can take anymore breaking news thrown my way and that could be why I started swaying and black out.

When I come to, I hear murmuring and several people's hands on me. It's more than my comfort zone can handle. I start squirming and try to sit up, but the hands are holding me down.

"Too many hands on me. Please get your hands of me. Please." I beg.

As my panic attack overcomes me, I try to sit up again and the hands on my shoulders press a little harder to keep me down. It almost feels like I've taken a muscle relaxant as a calm overtakes the panic attack. Making me more confused by what's going on around me, I look around and see Jamie just over Carlisle's shoulders.

"Two meltdowns in the last half hour. That's a new record for you Chief." He stated.

"I just found out that my 'imaginary' friend is real and that said friend turns out to be my great grandmother's older sister and my Aunt. I think I'm entitled to a meltdown or two." I retorted.

He shrugs in agreement.

"How are you feeling Abigail?" Carlisle asks softly.

I see that he's taking inventory of my overall appearance.

"I have a raging headache and feel slightly dizzy." I answered.

"I see. Do you pass out regularly?"

"Uh. No."

"Hmm." He looks me over again.

I look around and see both Alice and Tanya standing next to Carlisle. They have the same look of concern. Instead of talking to them for the moment, I sit up and almost regret it. The room tilts from side to side. I close my eyes again and feel Carlisle steadying me.

"I'm okay. Just a lil dizzy." I reassured but it didn't work.

"I want to take you in and have an MRI and CAT scan done." Carlisle announced.

"I really…" I want to say I don't think it's necessary that he do that but four pairs of eyes glare back at me, daring me to finish my sentence. I swallow hard.

"Okay." I mumbled.

"Thank you." He said.

"Found another one." I heard someone yelling.

I look around for some kind of answer and see that the three vampires look at the door.

"Found another what?" I asked.

"Another ancestor whom you're related to." Alice answered smiling.

What?

I slowly stand up and am met with three glares.

"Where do you think you're going?" Alice demanded.

"We'll bring whatever it is to you Abigail." Tanya said a little less demanding and giving Alice a glare of her own.

"Well, if you can go pee for me that would be great." I stated much to Carlisle and Jamie's amusement.

Jamie takes off, probably to find some food. Come to think about it, I'm starving.

"Esme and Carmen are cooking for you guys." Alice stated smiling at me.

After I steady myself I walk slowly to the door. I look around and see that I'm in a study and there are a lot of books in here. The desk at the other end of the room sits in the middle with a big leather chair behind it. It looks like mahogany. I look behind me and see that both Tanya and Alice are right there looking as if I might fall and ready to catch me if I do.

"I'm not gonna fall guys." I said.

"You never know." Alice replied.

I get a better look at the books as I walk by and stop to pull one out and look at it.

"Are these all first editions?" I asked marveling at the book in my hands. Its cover is leather and there's gold lettering on it. Like, real gold.

"Yes, they are." Alice answered.

Oh my God! I'm probably looking at several hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars worth of books here. I gently and slowly slide the book back into its place on the solid wood shelf. How much money does these vampires have?

"A few billion." Alice shrugged.

"A few billion what?" I asked walking up the stairs to the bathroom.

"Edward said you were asking how much money we have. We have a few billion dollars worth."

"How did…" I asked.

"He reads minds." Alice said and took off up the stairs too fast for me to follow.

I stood there dumbfounded by the information I just heard. Edward can read minds? I'm not sure I like that.

"Join the club." Alice shouted.

I'm not sure I like that either. Resuming the climb, I feel a hand on my butt and stop again.

"Hand. Off. Ass. Please." I said without looking behind me.

We continued up the stairs and I made my way to the bathroom. Once done and my hands washed, I open the door and Tanya is standing right in front of me. I jump back and glare at her. She merely smiles. She has an amazing smile. I shake my head and try to go around her but she stops me.

"Remember, despite everything happening now, I will always be here for you Abigail." She leans into me and whispered in my ear.

It sent a shiver up my back. I'm pretty sure she saw that too. Smiling, she pulls back and grabs my hand leading me back down stairs. Why am I acting this way around her? Maybe, Edward can help me out here.

"Sorry, Abby, but you're on your own." He shouted from the family room. Dang! How far away can he read minds?

"Apparently, from anywhere in the house." He answered. Weird.

"I know." He said.

Shaking my head and thinking what a weird family this is and that Jamie and I are now part of the weirdness. When I reach the bottom step, Emmett rushes up to us.

"Hey Chief." He yells making me stagger and my head pound more.

"Sorry. But, I was wondering if you can help me with my family tree?" He asked in all seriousness.

"Uh. Sure." I said.

"Great thanks. Chief." He said smiling again. Before he takes off he ruffles my hair. I try to swat his hand away but he's already gone.

"I hate being called that." I mutter.

I hear several people laugh in the other room.

"Why does Jamie call you Chief?" Tanya asked as we walked by the back door.

"I have an great grandfather who was a chief of his tribe. Jamie saw it and thinks that I'm entitled to be a chief of it one day. Since then, that's what he calls me. I don't like it." I said.

Apparently, the snow has picked up because there are several inches of snow on the deck. What stopped me was that off to the edge of the deck was a snowman with its head in its arms, made of sturdy branches, and a stick sticking from its head. Two black crosses for eyes indicate that it's dead. I look from it to Tanya and shake my head before entering the kitchen. I hear her mutter Emmett as we walked by.

The smells coming from the kitchen have my mouth watering. The smell of steak and green peppers grilling made me pick up my pace. Once in the kitchen, Jamie was sitting back in his stool and Jacob was standing next to him talking about something. It must have been an intriguing discussion because they were really animated.

I took the seat next to Jamie and Tanya sits next too me, a little too close in fact.

"I can tell the show isn't suffering by her leaving." Jamie stated.

"It did, if it didn't why are they on their third agent?" Jacob countered.

"What are you guys talking about so passionately?" I asked them.

"Criminal Minds." Jamie answered.

"Oh. It's not the same without Prentiss." I stated. I missed her being on there.

"See. I told you." Jacob thundered.

Ignoring their argument, I look at the kitchen island and see that it's covered in food. Esme and Carmen are making Mexican food and there's enough here to feed an entire army. I start twitching my leg and watch the women on the other side of the island chop food and cook with a speed that makes my eyes cross. I feel Tanya's hand on my knee making me stop my twitching and cause me to jump a little. I go to move her hand and she takes my hand instead. I look at her and try to take my hand away but she only tightens her grip.

"Have a problem Abigail?" she smirked.

"Yeah. We need to talk about all the touchy feely you're doing." I said looking at our hands.

She leans towards me and whispers, "I haven't even begun to be touchy feely with you yet, Abigail."

I gape at her statement and I think my eyes bulge out. I can't believe she said that.

"Tanya, behave." Esme ordered.

"Yeah, behave." I repeated still gaping at her.

I turn my attention back to the two women cooking and can't help with the amount of food before me.

"Um. You guys don't eat…food do you?" I asked.

"Hell, no." Tanya stated, "it's too disgusting for us and we can't keep it in our bodies long enough if we do eat it."

I look at the three vampires and see similar looks of disgust on all them.

"Okay. Then, why all the food for the three of us?" I asked pointing to my right.

"Wait till you see him eat." Esme said pointing the cheese grater at Jacob.

Jamie and I look at him and see a huge grin while he claps his hands anticipating the meal.

"Jacob's a shape-shifter, Abigail." Tanya explained.

"A what?" Jamie and I asked looking at her.

"I shift into a wolf." Jacob said.

Jamie and I turn to look at him.

"Really?" we both said.

"Yep."

"Is that why you're so warm?" I asked.

"Yep." He replied.

"Interesting." Was my answer.

"Why do you turn into a wolf?" Jamie asked.

"My ancestors were protectors of the tribe I'm from and the gene passed down to me and some of the kids." He said. That explains Seth. Where is he by the way?

"Protectors from what?" Jamie asked again.

"From vampires crossing our lands."

"Really?" we both asked.

"Yes. They are our natural enemy."

"Yet. You live with a house full of them." Jamie pointed out.

"Yes. I know, but my imprint is part one." He stated.

"What?" Jamie asked.

"Nessie is half human, half vampire."

"Really? What's an imprint?" Jamie continued to grill Jacob.

Jamie is taking this whole vampire thing a lot better than I am. Wonder when he found out.

"She's my soul mate." Jacob said with a sense of wonder and love.

"Okay." Jamie replied. "So, you turn into a wolf?"

Apparently, he's still stuck on the shape-shifter news. I wonder. When he's a wolf, does he lick…No. Never mind.

Just as I thought that, I hear laughter erupt from the family room. All of us look that way and my face immediately goes red. A few seconds go by followed by more laughter; even the ladies in here start chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Jamie asked.

"Nothing!" Jacob and I said at the same time. By the look on his face, he heard Edward tell everyone else what I was thinking.

"Sorry." I muttered.

"Dinner's done." Esme announced.

She comes around the island and places two enchiladas on my plate. She does this for Jamie and Jacob too; only he gets five of them. Carmen is right behind her filling my plate up with Mexican rice and sizzling fajitas. The next hour was spent stuffing my face with as much food as I could. After eating two enchiladas, two tacos, a fajita and rice, I can honestly say, without a doubt, my gut is about to explode.

Between making small talk with Tanya, she has some great stories, and watching Jacob snarf down the rest of the food, I feel the exhaustion setting in. It's been a very long day and I've slept through half of it already. I go to stand and help with the clean up but Esme takes my plate and tells me her and Carmen can handle it.

That was Alice's cue to come back to the kitchen, nose crinkling from the smell, and tells me that the shower is ready for me. I look at her and raise a brow.

"You smell like vodka…and Mexican food." She announced.

"You have a thing with smell don't you?" I asked getting up.

"No. I don't. And, Edward said that you were thinking how grimy you feel." She said and zipped away making me flinch.

Before I can take a step, Alice is back in front of me holding two pills and a full glass of water.

"Their for the headache." She shrugged.

I took them and downed the water. Satisfied, she zips away again.

I thank Esme and Carmen for the great meal and make my way back down the hallway. I really need to see what the rest of the house looks like. If it's anything like this, I'm in for a treat.

"We'll give you a tour tomorrow. You're going to take a shower and barely finish it before falling asleep." Alice stated.

"That's going to take some time to get used to." I mumbled.

"You will eventually." Tanya whispered back.

We walk by the back door and I see that another snowman appeared and has a two by four impaled through his middle. His head is facing up and a branch is bent, looking as if it's trying to pull the piece of wood out. Shaking my head I continue up to the bathroom. I hear Tanya mutter something about Emmett's sense of humor and have to agree with her. He has a twisted sense of humor.

"So, this touchy feely thing you have going with me. Explain." I said.

She sighs.

"You remember what Jacob said about imprints and how it's their soul mates they find?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, vampires have a similar thing. When we find our mates, it's like finding our soul mates and completes us. Some vampires find theirs relatively fast. Others spend centuries looking for theirs and some never find them."

Okay. That makes sense, but why me? Before I can ask, she leans into me and whispers, "I'll go get you some pajamas to change into."

With that, she kisses my jaw and disappeared.

Once, in the bathroom I start the shower and strip. It's a steam shower. Heaven! I like this place more and more. As I'm washing myself, I think about what Tanya said about mates and wonder why she brought it up. Then, it hits me. I stop in the middle of shampooing my hair. She found her mate. And, it's me.

Ah hell!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23

Just as Alice predicted, I almost fell asleep in the shower. Do you blame me though? A nice big showerhead pouring hot steamy water down on me, relaxing all my muscles, pure heaven!

Once I was done and dried off, I saw that Tanya did bring me some pj's. Putting them on, I brushed my hair and teeth. I sat on the stool to put some lotion on. Me and winter weather do not get along so well. I should take stock out in lotion with how much I use between Fall and Spring.

"Do you need help with the lotion?" Tanya asked from the other side of the door.

"No. But, thanks." I answered shaking my head. Does she not know any boundaries?

I sat there thinking about all that has happened to me today. Time traveling twice, finding out my great aunt is still alive and kicking…somewhat. And, she was my imaginary friend. Then there was the fact that I was mated, whatever that was, to a thousand year old vampire. Was that a good or bad thing? The pounding on the door woke me up. I didn't know I had drifted off.

Slowly lifting myself up and stepped out of the bathroom, both Alice and Tanya were waiting for me.

"You're gonna be following me around a lot aren't you?" I asked them both.

"Yep. And, get used to it." Alice smiled and Tanya nodded. "Let's get you to bed."

Sighing, I followed them down the hall to a room that was twice the size of mine. It was huge and spacious. There was hardly anything on the walls that were painted an ivory color. Next to the door was a dresser with a huge mirror, solid oak, of course. The whole right wall was made up of windows and thick draperies hanging down to the floor. There were two nightstands on either side of the California king size bed that went up to my hip. I can imagine how Alice gets in bed.

"I haven't decided what I want to do yet. It's only been a month and I have several designs started." She stated a little embarrassed.

It looked fine to me. On the left wall, closest to me, was a bare wall and a walk-in closet. Alice danced to the closet and opened the door.

"Come see the closet." She sang.

Okay. I'm sure it's just like any other walk-in closet….

Okay, maybe not. The thing was huge, almost twice as big as the room and stuffed with clothes.

"What do you think?" she chimed.

"Uh. It's a room full of clothes. What am I supposed to think?" I asked, not impressed in the least. I work in retail. What do you expect?

If looks could kill, I'd be dead. I slowly backed out of the closet and stepped behind Tanya for protection, much to her amusement.

"Just a room full of clothes?" Alice fumed.

"Uh. Yeah." I mumbled.

She huffed and stalked out and closed the door. She danced over to the bed and pulled the down comforter and sheets.

"Alright. Bedtime for the human." She sang.

"Um. Where are you going to sleep?" I asked.

I see her and Tanya give each other a brief look.

"Don't worry about it. I can find somewhere else." She answered.

"I. I don't know." I stuttered.

Yes. I have an issue sleeping in other people's beds. It's a thing.

"Abby. Don't worry about it. I promise. I'm not going to miss my bed." she reassured me.

Hesitantly, I climbed into the bed and sank down. A pillow top! Sighing, I snuggled deeper into it as Alice covered me with the comforter.

"Want a night light?" She giggled.

"What? No. I don't need a night light." I said.

"She might." I heard Jamie yell from another part of the house.

I look at the door and then Alice.

"Edward told him after everyone started laughing." She replied.

"Someone hit him for me, please." I muttered.

I heard a smack followed by an 'ow.'

"Thank you!" I smiled.

"Good night, Abby." Alice said as she turned out the light and closed the door.

In the dark, I lay on my back staring up at the ceiling and realized someone else was in the room. Tanya.

"You're not gonna stay in here all night, are you?" I asked still staring at the ceiling.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Tanya whispered.

I still haven't heard her move, so she must still be by the end of the bed.

"Yeah. No. I don't know." I replied.

I have no idea why I am so indecisive with her. Part of me wants to get to know her while the other part wants to keep her at arms length. I felt, more than heard, a swoosh and then the bed creaked as Tanya crawled into the bed. I tensed at her boldness.

"Want to cuddle?" She asked.

"Nope. No cuddling." I stated, still on my back.

Finally giving in to curiosity, I flipped on my side and almost fell out of the bed when I saw how close she was to me. Our noses almost touched. She grabbed my shoulder and steadied me.

"Question." I said after I relaxed a little.

"Shoot." She replied.

"This mating thing." I replied.

"What about it?"

"Explain."

"As I said before, we find our other half. Our soul mate." She answered.

"And, we're soul mates?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Okay." I said. I don't understand it, but I don't think I can blow her off. She seems adamant about us being together.

"You're okay with this?" She asked a bit surprised.

"Uh. Not really. Still trying to wrap my brain around it." I admitted.

"You must understand Abigail, that I will not, nor will I not be able to stay away from you for long periods of time. I may become more protective of you and a bit more possessive, especially around anyone who isn't mated yet. And, that includes Young Jamie." She stated.

"Really?" I asked intrigued.

"Yes."

"So, these last hundred years then?" I asked.

"Were pure hell." She whispered.

"Sorry." I muttered.

"Don't be. You had no idea what was happening."

"Did you know back then?" I asked.

"Your scent drew me to you and it was an instant connection when I laid eyes on you." She stated.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Huh." I muttered.

"I have a question for you." She said.

"Okay."

"You were married before." It wasn't a question but more of a statement.

"Yes." I whispered. I didn't want to talk about it, but I guess it's fair.

"What happened to him?"

"Drunk driver." Was all I said.

"Sorry."

"I don't think there was anything you could have done to stop it. Well, maybe. I'm just grateful he didn't suffer." I replied.

I swallowed hard and kept the tears at bay. This was always a touchy subject for me. I was married for all of a year and a half when it happened.

"He died on impact?"

"Yeah."

I felt a peace overcome me and I relaxed more, causing a yawn to escape.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"It's okay. I'm keeping you awake, but I do have one more thing to ask."

"Okay."

"If you have issues of being touched, then how did he?" she stopped.

"He had the patience of a saint." I chuckled.

"We met as juniors in college and he spent the rest of that year and senior year pursuing me. I dodged and ignored him. But, he found a way past all my defenses and found a small opening in my heart and squeezed himself in."

"I see."

We were quiet for a few minutes and I started to doze off.

"Abigail."

"Hmm."

"I hope that you will find it in yourself to tell my why it is you have these issues of not being touched." She whispered.

"I'm deciding if I want to tell you or not." I said and turned away from her.

"Abigail. Please, Love, tell me." she begged.

"I'm afraid of how you all will react when I do tell you." I admitted.

"It's that bad."

"Pretty much." I mumbled.

They'll freak out again and probably turn to statues. Either that or go on a manhunt. I'm not ruling either one out yet.

Not a good note to fall asleep on because my dreams that night were anything but pleasant. I did feel an arm wrap around my waist and I tried to move it only for it to be entwined in a hand.

The first dream I had, that I can remember were people screaming and moaning as they slowly froze to death. My pulse raced and I started twitching trying to reach out and help them. I couldn't reach anyone. My arms were trashing about and the arm around my waist disappeared only to be replaced by two hands rubbing my face and whispering soothing words for me to wake up. I felt a hand on my feet and wave after wave of calm crawled up my body slowing my movements and the whining I was doing to stop.

I cracked open my eyes long enough to tell them I was okay and fell asleep again. My next dream was of Cody, my husband. I've had this dream several times too, but this time it was different. Instead of the field full of flowers of every color, we were standing on opposite sides of an iron fence. I reached my hand through and grabbed his hand and he held it, kissing the back.

He had a sad smile and told me that his time is up and he has to go. I tried to climb over the fence but he came up and stopped me. He cupped my face and told me to be strong. He's happy that I have someone now to look after me and that it looks like she's here for good. He's happy that he had played an important part in my life and planted the seed but its time for me grow and he can't wait to see how beautiful I will bloom.

He turned and started walking away as I cried out wanting him to stay and that I

can't go on without him. He turned and said that I need to see what others see inside of me and when I finally do see it, I'll be a force to reckon with. I was again woken up with soothing words and a peaceful calm overcame me.

After those two dreams, I can't remember what else I dreamt or if I slept soundly. I came too some time later when I felt something crawl on my nose and I tried to swat it away. After this happened several times, I felt like I was being watched, like hunted, watched. I opened my eyes and saw Alice right in front of me. I flinch away from her smiling face and turned over.

"Ah. What the hell?" I croaked. My throat was too dry.

"Good. You're awake." She cheered.

"Go away." I swatted at her as she climbed on the bed.

"Time to get up. Carlisle is waiting to take you in to get your head examined."

"I don't he'll find anything in there." A voice I don't recognize said.

I squinted my eyes open only to force them closed when the drapes were opened sending a flood of white light into the room.

"Ugh." I groaned as I covered my face with the comforter.

I pat the bed feeling for Tanya and felt nothing. Where did she go?

"She's talking with Carlisle about something." Alice answered.

"Mmpf." I mumbled.

"Esme and Carmen are cooking breakfast so get up." The unknown voice said and walked out.

"Who was that?" I croaked.

"That was Rosalie." Alice said.

I was awake enough and stretched out. I can hear all my joints popping into place. Turning on my back, I stretched again. I placed my hands on my head and felt the throbbing increase. I guess Alice's preventive medicine didn't work after all. I feel like a semi hit me. My whole body ached and I feel the tickling in the back of my throat, indicating that a coughing fit was on the near horizon. Wonderful!

"The medicine was only supposed to slow it down. You're still going to get pretty sick Abby." She whispered.

I peaked an eye at her.

"Sorry. But, nothing was going to stop it."

Sighing. I sat up and felt dizzy again. Blinking several times I looked around.

"How?" I asked.

"Ten seconds." She answered still looking at me.

"One Mississippi. Two Mississippi." I said and counted to ten. Before I fished saying Mississippi the last time, Tanya strolled it. I looked at Alice.

"See." She said with a raised brow, still lounging back on the bed.

"Good morning Love." Tanya said coming up to me and planted a kiss on my head.

I murumphed her.

"Where did you sleep last night?" I asked Alice.

Her and Tanya looked one another and back to me. Her smirk is getting bigger by the minute. She must have seen this and is watching it play out in real time.

"You see, Abby. Vampires don't sleep."

What? I look at her and then look over at Tanya for confirmation. She shakes her head. Looking back at Alice.

"What?"

"We don't sleep." She repeated herself.

"Then why do you have a…" I stopped and thought about it. It hit me like a ton of bricks.

"OH. MY. GOD! That's gross." I said and launched myself out of the bed.

Both girls were laughing so hard Alice was holding her stomach.

"Eww. I have vampire cooties on me now." And started to swat away imaginary germs.

"Hey. We don't have cooties." Alice said, still laughing.

"How would you know, you're a vampire." I barked as I walked out of the room muttering that I need another shower.

Tanya was beside me in a heartbeat and said she'll wash my back and smiling that dazzling smile that made my heart skip a little.

Great!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24

After I went to the bathroom and did my thing, I ran the brush through my hair to get it to lie down. I knew it was a bad idea to go to bed with wet hair. Running the water and pouring the water on my hand to dampen my hair, Tanya walks in and sees my doing this. That woman really needs to know what boundaries are.

She walks up to me, still bent over the sink and starts massaging my head. It feels really good and sends tingles down my back. When she's done, she grabs a towel and dries my hair. She's throws the towel into a hamper and doesn't move from in front of me.

"Th-thanks." I muttered.

"No problem. But, I still think the shower would be better."

Her breath hits me in the face and I stand there stunned. It's an intoxicating smell. Still standing there like a fool, Tanya leans forward and pecks my lips. I flinch back and raise my brows waiting for her to explain herself. She ignores me and grabs my hand and leads my out of the bathroom.

"Breakfast is almost done and you better get there before it's all gone." She stated.

We get downstairs and I realize how bright it is. I look outside and see that several feet of snow has fallen and still coming down. Huh! Guess I won't be going anywhere today. Yay!

"You're still going to the hospital to get the CAT scan done, Abby." Alice yelled from somewhere in the house.

Shaking my head and stare outside, I see Emmett has added more snowmen to his…masterpiece. There are dismembered snowman parts all over the place, or he's given up making anymore. And now, there's a snowman up against the window with branches above its head like its pounding on the window for help. He's creative; I'll give him credit for that.

Once I'm in the kitchen, I see that Rosalie is helping out. The whole island is spread out with food of every kind: waffles, pancakes, biscuits, gravy, toast, scrambled eggs and bacon and sausage are being fried now. My mouth waters at all the food.

"Good morning, Abby." Esme said followed by Carmen.

"Morning." I said.

I'm about to grab a plate and pile it with food when Rosalie steps up and tells me to sit down, she'll get it for me. I muttered an okay and go to the dining room table and sit next to Jamie.

His hair is sticking up in odd angles and I can see that he must have just woken up too. Jacob is there too with Nessie. Bella is next to her trying to convince her to eat a little bit. The look of disgust on her face says she would rather be doing something else than eat human food.

At the end of the table is Seth eating a heaping mound of pancakes. I wonder how he's even fitting it into his mouth. He looks at me and smiles.

"Morning Abby. How are ya doin?" he asks.

"Um. Okay." I replied.

"That's good. Glad to see you vertical and not looking like a Popsicle."

"Yeah. Me too."

Rosalie brings me a plate with pancakes and bacon.

"Would you like anything else, Abby?" She asks cheerfully.

"Uh. If there's orange juice, I would like some of that please." I said.

"Sure." She replied and saunters off.

I look around and see that everyone is looking at me.

"What?" I asked to surprised faces.

"Nothing." They all replied.

"Here you go. Holler if you need anything else." She said.

"Okay."

I look at Tanya, sitting next to me of course, and see her eyes glittering with amusement. Apparently, Rosalie isn't quite this nice around people. I sit there and think for a minute why. Tanya's hand finds my leg and starts rubbing her hand inside my thigh causing me to jump. Everyone looks my way and I just shake my head.

"Hey, Chief. Your mom has been calling and texting all morning, asking where you are." Jamie said through a mouthful of waffles.

"I'll call when I'm done." I replied.

"When did she learn to text?"

"Lil' Jer showed her last summer." I replied.

"Really?" he asked.

I nod.

"What does she want?"

"Probably what I want for my birthday dinner. I don't know why she asks, it's always the same." I said.

My mom makes the best spaghetti sauce around. She lets it cook all day, making the whole house smell good, making my mouth water just thinking about it.

"Where did you sleep last night?" I asked.

"The couch."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Fell asleep playing video games with the guys. They just left me there."

At least, he doesn't have to worry about cooties. I hear Edward chuckling.

Alice dances into the room and sits next to Tanya. She reaches over Tanya and hands me a credit card. Why?

I go to take it and see that it has my name on it. I look at her with a confused look.

"You're my niece and it's my job to look out for you." She replied.

Looking back the card, I see that it's a solid black American Express credit card. Before I ask her what its for, Jamie snatches it from me and gives it a good look.

"You got a black American Express card?" He asked with envy.

"It appears so." I said, snatching it back and looking at it.

"What's if for?" I asked.

"Whatever you need." Alice replied.

"Um. Okay. I guess, I can't scrap my windows with this then?" I asked putting the card in my pajama pocket.

The look I get from her, Tanya and Jamie tell me all I need to know.

"I guess that's a no."

Jacob and Seth snicker from their places.

"You can do some serious shopping with that." Jamie said with a reverence that I saw when I got my new phone.

"Yeah. That sounds like real fun." I said with sarcasm.

I hate shopping. I'd rather have bamboo rammed between my fingernails than go shopping. I hear more chuckling from Edward. Apparently, he likes what I'm thinking.

After eating two pancakes, six pieces of bacon, a biscuit covered with creamy gravy and a plate of scrambled eggs, I couldn't eat another bite. Bella convinced Nessie to eat a small plate of eggs, which she did but I can tell she may find a way to have them reappear. Jake and Seth are on their fifth or sixth plate of food. I lost count after three.

Standing up and pushing the chair away from the table, I pick up my plates and glass and head over to the sink. Before I can take two steps, Rosalie is there taking them from me.

"Let me guess. You're related to me somehow?" I asked.

"Yes. I am." She said cheerfully.

"Okay. How?"

"Your Aunt Rosa. Her father is my brother." She answered.

"Really?" I asked surprised.

Come to think of it, they do have some resemblance. Long blonde hair and tall lean stature. I did meet her father once. Nice man, if not a bit standoffish. You could see sadness in his eyes and he never smiled that I could remember. I guess I can see why now. My dad's oldest brother, Thomas, Married a Rosalie Hale, but she always went by Rosa. Huh. I guess I should have seen the connection there. Her brother named her after his sister.

"And, you're going to join the Abby bandwagon." I stated.

"You are correct, so get used to it little niece." She smiled and walked away.

My shoulders slump at all the attention I'm getting. I'm not used to it and unsure how to deal with it either.

Carlisle enters the kitchen, smiling.

"Whenever you're ready, Abby, we'll leave."

"Are you sure you want to drive in this mess?" I asked.

Whenever it snows and the city shuts down, I do too. I curl up in a ball of blankets and watch television, or a movie, read a book or fall asleep. I don't go out into that stuff unless I absolutely have to. Now, is not really one of those moments.

"It's not that bad out, really." he reassured me.

I looked out again and swear that it looks like a blizzard out there.

"Um. Okay. Just let me get dressed." I replied.

"I'll get the Jeep ready."

And, he's gone. Slowly, making my way back up stairs, Tanya gets impatient and lifts me up and flies up and into the room.

"Was that really necessary?" I said, after she put me down.

"Yes. Abigail. It was. We're worried about you. It's not normal to have headaches all the time. And, your nose bleeding last night, we just want to make sure it's nothing serious." She explained.

"Okay. I get that, but in this weather?" I said pointing at the window.

"The weather isn't that big of a deal with us." She remarked.

"I see." I said.

Okay. What am I going to wear? Before I can figure that out, Alice is there with a stack of clothes.

"I did a little shopping for you, Abby. Hope you don't mind." She said sheepishly.

"Um. Okay. But why?" I asked.

"Because, I wanted to." She answered.

Still holding the clothes, I was at a loss for words.

"It's okay. And, you're welcome." She poked my nose and left the room.

I looked over at Tanya, leaning against the dresser with her arms crossed. She gives me a look that makes me shiver. I can see her eyes darken and a look of hunger overtakes her. It's as if she's daring me to undress in front of her and I'm almost tempted to do it.

The knock on the door brings me out of my daze. Alice tells me to hurry up and that Carlisle is waiting for us. Swallowing hard, I look around and see the closet door and go in there to change.

I gotta admit, Alice knows how to shop. The jeans are not too tight, nor too loose. They fit pretty good and feel comfortable. I pull the long sleeve Henley over my head and that fits pretty good too. It's a navy blue color and thick. She must know that I hate being cold. I don't want to stop and think about how much this all costs because if I do I'll probably have a heart attack, especially seeing that the underwear and matching bra look pretty high end.

Walking out, I see Tanya has moved to stand in front of me. Still clutching the pajamas to my chest, I wait to see what she's going to do.

She leans into me and whispers into my ear, "I'll get you to undress for me sooner than you think Abigail." Her voice was low and husky.

Before I can pull away from her, she inhales deeply and plants a kiss on my neck, close to my pulse and sends it skyrocketing. She pulls back with a smirk and takes the pajamas from me and tosses them on the bed.

She pulls me out of the room and when we reach the stairs, Alice is there with my boots. She gives Tanya a glare before pushing me into a sitting position on the top step and puts my boots on and laces them up before I can complain. She hands me a coat, scarf and hat to put on.

"I'm not a kid, you know." I said a little annoyed

"I'm aware of that, Abby, but you'll take your time putting them just to delay us from leaving." She countered.

It's true. I would take me time. I hate going to the hospital.

When we reach the bottom step, Jasper and Emmett are there waiting for us. They have their arms crossed and look a little mad, angry, annoyed. I can't decide. Tanya, on the other hand, is smiling and seems to be enjoying herself.

"Hello, boys. What can I do for you two?" She sang.

"We want to know what your intentions are for our niece." Emmett demanded.

I think my jaw came unhinged. I know my eyes must have bulged.

"What?" I shrieked.

By now, Edward and Bella, along with Kate and Garrett are watching and waiting to see what happens. All have a huge smile on their faces.

"We want to know what her plans are for our lil' niece." Jasper insisted.

Oh my God! It's like my brothers all over again. Talk about being the older big brothers and follow the young innocent sister around on her dates. It was a wonder that I even married in the first place. They didn't make it easy for me either.

"What her plans are for me are not any of yours' business." I demanded.

I grabbed Tanya's hand and shoved them out of the way and out the door, fuming. I mumbled all the way to the Jeep and kicked a snowman's head across the driveway. Both Tanya and Alice are chuckling at my tantrum.

Alice had to help me into the Jeep again and Tanya followed behind me. Alice sat in the passenger seat. Carlisle is trying to hide his amusement but fails.

"Sorry about the boys, but they do have your best interests in mind." He explained.

"Thank God, they weren't around when I met Cody." I muttered.

"Why?"

"Between them and my brothers, I probably would have never got married." I exclaimed.

"Your brothers were that bad?" Alice asked.

"An Army Ranger, Marine and Sailor. Yeah, it was that bad." I ranted.

They all laughed.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25

It took forty-five minutes to reach the medical center in Vail. I'm sure it probably would have taken longer if a normal human was driving. Carlisle parked close enough to the doors that I wasn't out in the cold for too long. I can tell that the cold was already seeping into my body and causing me to shiver.

On the way over I call mom. Josiah, the oldest of the kids answers.

"Hey, Snot. What's been keeping you?" he asked cheerfully.

"Um. Been busy." I mumbled.

Tanya and Alice look at me and mouth the word 'Snot,' wondering how I got the nickname. I only shake my head as they both chuckle.

"Where are you at anyways? Mom went to Jamie's and said no one was there."

"We are in the mountains visiting some friends." I answered. It wasn't a complete lie

"Did you guys get snowed in?"

"You can say that."

I look out the window and see that we're moving at a pretty good pace. Snow is blowing and I can barely see anything other than white and gray streak by.

"You know, it's hardly doing anything here. Just a couple of inches, but the weatherwoman said we could get hit with more tonight."

After talking to him for a couple more minutes, he puts mom on. She fussed for a bit on why I didn't call earlier. I made some lame excuse about playing out in the snow. I knew she wouldn't believe it because she knows I hate cold weather.

Of course, she asked what I wanted for my birthday meal and I told her the usual s'getti. She laughed and said she had to go, Lil' Jer hurt his head when he decided to play on the ice and hit his head when he fell. That kid is a walking talking accident waiting to happen. A daredevil too, which doesn't make it any easier for my brother and his wife.

Once we walked into the medical center, we follow Carlisle down the corridors and stopped when he talked to a couple of techs. They nodded and left us alone. We walked into the room where the CAT scanner was. The whole time, I'm trying to distract myself by humming various songs and pulling on my fingers. I know they know how nervous I am being here. My heart rate is racing and I'm practically panting from the fear.

The only reason I can think of where this fear of the hospital is that I know three important people in my life have died in a hospital or on the way. Both were turning points in my life too. When my dad died and when Cody died. The third, I don't really want to think about.

Then there were the trips when I couldn't convince my aunt and uncle that Mary Alice was real and not imaginary. Look who has the last laugh on that one. They would have doctors examine me and wonder if I had cancer, seizures or bigger words that suggested I was crazy. Nothing came back abnormal. I doubt this test would see anything too.

"You never know." Alice whispered.

"Can't you see into your crystal ball and see what the results are?" I asked.

"Because, Carlisle wants to see the images himself and that's the only way he'll be satisfied." Alice answered.

"Alright. I think we're ready." He said.

Walking up to the huge contraption, Alice pats the table and waits for me to climb on. I slowly get on the table and lie down. Alice lifts it up enough to go through the hole of the CAT scanner. I can hear it warming up and I take three huge breaths to try and calm myself down. Tanya is holding my hand and if she was human, I'm sure her hand would be hurting with how hard I'm squeezing it.

The test took about fifteen minutes. When Carlisle said I could get up, I couldn't move fast enough. We walked to the room with the monitors and wait for his results. I didn't have to wait long either.

"Well, everything seems to be normal." Carlisle stated still looking at the monitor.

"See. Told you guys. It was a waste of time." I fumed.

Without waiting for them, I walked out and made my way to the medical center's exit. Tanya caught up to me and tried to stop but I batted her hands away. We reached a corner and turned when I stopped.

I turn around and see a guy I used to go to school with. Chris. Chris Anderson. He stood a few feet away watching Tanya and I argue. He hadn't changed a bit. Even though, we've been out of school for almost twelve years, he still looks like he just graduated from school. I thought he was…

"Abby." He called and walked over to us.

He's shorter than I expected.

"Chris. It's been a while." I said as conversationally as I could. Something was off.

"Yeah. It has. How are ya?" He said holding out his hand.

I just look at it.

"That's right. You're not the touchy feely kind are you? Still that way I see." He smiled.

"Yeah. Still that way." I muttered.

"Who's this?" He asked looking Tanya up and down.

When he turned back to me I see his eyes flash and do something weird. It made the hairs stand up on my neck. This wasn't Chris Anderson.

"I'm Tanya." She smiled.

"Nice meeting you. What brings you to ski country Abby? I didn't think you were the skiing type."

"Just getting away for a few days." I said shrugging.

"Looks like you picked a pretty crappy time."

"Yeah. I did."

I looked outside and can tell he's still staring at me. How do I tell Tanya and Alice that this isn't my classmate? I turn and see Tanya stare at Chris too. I think she knows something isn't right. Alice and Carlisle are down the hall a ways watching us talk. Alice has her phone out and talking to someone. Hope it's back up.

Thinking of a way to throw him off I come up with a brilliant, I hope its brilliant idea. I've seen it happen a lot on television and hope it works in real life.

"Hey, Chris. I forgot. Wasn't our school fight song, Fight On? For some reason I can't really remember it and it's driving me crazy." I said as conversationally as I could.

"Yeah. It was." He said, "It's a great song."

Wrong!

I stood there and looked at him. He closed his eyes and nodded.

"That isn't the name is it?" he asked.

"No. It isn't." I spoke.

Tanya placed herself in front of me, protectively. I think I hear her growl a little.

"What gave me away?" He asked, not the bit scared by Tanya's actions.

"A number of things. Chris was taller than me by two inches and he was slightly heavier too. Not to mention, he had a lazy eye that bugged him. Everyone always stared at it." I said listing off the things I saw.

"But, you missed the biggest difference." I stated.

"What's that?"

"He hung himself a year after graduation." I replied.

"He was a bit of a loser if you ask me." he said.

"What do you want, shifter?" Tanya growled.

"I came to see how the young one is dealing with her new status. From the looks of it, she's not dealing at all. I see the doubt in her eyes. She's not ready for what Dear Ol' Mom has set before her. But, if she does start down that path, know this." he said and walked up to us.

Tanya held up her hand and stopped him.

"If you do follow mom's advice and find the journals and free her, you and everyone will suffer and that includes your little immortal whore too." He spat out giving Tanya a disgusted look.

Turning back to me he said, "Do you want to be the one responsible for more death and destruction, Young one? If you stop now and carry on as you have been, then we'll leave you alone. No one will know any different."

"And, if I don't?" I hissed.

"Then be prepared for a shit storm to come your way and everyone, and I mean everyone you know will suffer." He snapped.

"I have to admit, they've been working on you for years and messed with your head so much that it's gonna be fun to see you fail. I'm personally looking forward to see you lose your mind completely." He smirked.

The automatic door behind me opened, sending a blast of air in. Chris' smile fades as he looks behind me.

"Well, have to go Abby. Look forward to seeing you unravel."

He turns and runs knocking people over in his rush to leave. Emmett and Jasper, along with Kate, Garrett and Jacob run past us. Tanya picks me up and runs out the door. Carlisle and Alice are already in the Jeep waiting for us.

Once I'm in, Carlisle wastes no time leaving. He doesn't peel out of the parking lot due to all the snow and icy roads, but he isn't taking it easy. Alice twists in her seat and takes my head in her hand examining my face and then checks my neck, shoulders and arms. I swat her away.

"He didn't touch me. God!"

She looks like she's about to launch over the seat and hug me but I hold my hand up.

"What the hell was that thing?" I asked, still trying to get my breathing under control.

"It was a shifter." Tanya said through clenched teeth.

"What the hell is a shifter?"

"They're creatures that can shift into any human they want. They take on their appearance, scent and even memories." Carlisle said.

"How come no one has ever heard of them?" I asked.

"Because these things are that good at hiding what they truly are. Even vampires have a hard time finding one. How did you figure it out?" Tanya asked.

"His eyes went all wonky or something. It was like he couldn't figure out how they worked. That and the fact that I know he hung himself." I answered.

"Good job with outing him." Alice said.

"Yeah." I said. "What was he talking about?"

I get no answers and that unnerves me. They know something about this.

"Wait till we get you back to the house. We want you safe. Then, we'll explain what we know." Alice said.

Tanya squeezes my hand. I look at her and see a sad smile.

"It doesn't change what I feel about you, Abigail. If anything, it makes the bond stronger. Remember that." She said quietly.

We get back to the house and Rosalie is there, practically ripping the door off, trying to get to me. She carries me to the house and once inside does what Alice was doing in the car. She looks me over from head to toe and when she gets done, she hugs me and squeezes a little too hard. When she lets go Esme is there for her hug.

Everyone is on high alert. Those who weren't at the medical center are on the deck looking around to see if any more shifters are around. I hear someone say that Seth shifted and is running the perimeter of the property to see if he smells anything. I doubt it with the amount of snow.

No one is taking the news lightly either. Even Jamie is more reserved and uptight. He's at the kitchen island leaning over it reading something. He looks up as I walk in and lets out a deep breath.

"Geez, Chief. You can't even go to the hospital without causing trouble, can you?"

"What can I say? Trouble knows where I am, all the time." I answered.

I sit down next to him and look at what he's reading. It's a binder filled with college ruled paper. Pretty thick too.

"What are you reading?" I asked.

"Jasper and Edward went through the journal last night and translated the whole thing. It's pretty impressive too," he said.

Impressive! That was a thick journal and for them to translate it in one night. That's down right impossible.

"We don't sleep Abby. It was easy enough." Edward explained from the hallway. He looked upset and anxious.

"We're all worried for you." He said.

I turn my attention back to the binder and slide over to me. I turn the pages over until I'm on the first page. Jamie was right it is impressive. Every line in the journal is written out on one line in Russian. Underneath that line is the translation. Then, there's a blank space followed by the next line in Russian. This goes on and on as I flip through them. They even drew the pictures out exactly and translated them.

I go back to the first page and read the first line and jump when I see it. The first line is my full name and birth date. It even has the time and place I was born. I wasn't born in the hospital but at home. The next few lines describe my mother and father there at my birth and the man who helped with my birth.

Carlisle Cullen.

I stop there. What. The. Hell!

I look up and see him standing on the other side of the island, his hand around Esme's waist.

"There's a lot to explain to you Abby." He said quietly.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 26

I sit there staring at him. My head already feels like it's been stuffed with too much information. I'm not sure I can handle any more, but Carlisle seems that I can. I clear my throat but it does no good. The tickling feeling isn't going away. Alice hands me a glass of tea, finally, and more pills. I absentmindedly take them.

Carlisle continues:

There's a story that has been passed around in the vampire world for a long time. Every vampire has heard it or a portion of it sometime in his or her existence. It's so old that no one really knows when or where it takes place. Some even think it's a legend and holds no meaning whatsoever.

"You do though?" I asked.

"Yes. The first time I heard it was in Volterra, Italy. One of the leaders, Marcus, saw me in the library poring over a book of legends from around Europe. He came in and sat with me and told me a story that would rival any I have read thus far.

You must see that Marcus isn't one of a talking nature. Most of the time, he gives one-word answers and the rest of the time he mourns for his lost love. On this occasion, he was in a rare good mood. This is the story he told me:

 _There was a man who was very powerful. He had a large kingdom and the people revered him. He was strong, passionate, diplomatic and very level headed. He had a son and daughter. His wife died some years before. It was strange that the wife died considering that they, the royal house, had very long lives. Unnaturally long, but no one complained or cared, only that they were being taken care of._

 _Rival kingdoms were jealous of how strong and prosperous his kingdom was and they did everything they could to bring it down. Nothing worked. As the years passed and the kingdom grew, the king and his children were elevated to gods and worshipped._

 _It was then that an evil had found its way into the kingdom and the king was getting reports of people gone missing and never heard from again. The king would send out parties to search for the missing people, but they would never be heard from again. This alarmed the king and he tried everything he could to find out what happened and to keep if from continuing. Nothing worked._

 _He finally prayed to whatever higher being he could to enlist their help. His prayers were answered when someone arrived and asked what he wanted. He told the stranger what was happening to his people and he wanted to protect them. The stranger explained that a rival kingdom had created a creature that changed into an animal and was unleashed on his kingdom. It was strong and powerful and nothing could stop it._

 _The king pleaded with the stranger on how to battle this creature. The stranger saw that the king was pure in his thoughts and only cared for those in his kingdom and agreed to help. The stranger said that he would help in creating a creature of his own to battle the shifter. The king was happy._

 _The king picked one of his most loyal advisers. It was agreed that the adviser had to agree to the change and abide by the agreement. He did._

 _The king wanted someone who looked and acted like a man but was much more. He had to be strong and powerful. His skin had to endure anything thrown at it. The stranger made the skin hard like stone._

 _The king wanted his adviser to see far better than any man, hear more than any man and smell more than any man could. It was granted. He wanted someone who would not tire and would not require rest. It was granted. When the king could think of nothing more, the stranger told him that he had to sacrifice something of his to give the creature a new life._

 _The king took a dagger and cut his hand and offered his own blood. He knew he had a long life and that there was something different with him and his family. The stranger asked if he was sure he wanted to offer his life source. The king answered yes, if it meant to help his people._

 _The stranger told him that when it woke it would require from thence forward, the life source of humans to survive and to feed it often. The king agreed._

 _When the creature woke, he was everything the king envisioned. He sent the creature out to find the shifters and destroy them. The creature obeyed and left. Centuries went by and the creature destroyed many shifters, but more always replaced them. One day his adviser came to him and asked for help._

 _He could not keep up with how many shifters were created. So the king prayed for the stranger to return. He did. The king asked how he could create more of his adviser and the stranger advised him that it would not be wise. The king didn't listen._

 _Knowing that it was futile to argue, the stranger told the king that his adviser had a poison in his veins and it would be able create more like it, but they may not be as loyal to the king as his adviser is. He ignored the stranger and his daughter's protests._

 _Three more creatures were created and he sent them out to help his adviser to protect the kingdom. More people disappeared and that concerned the king more. His son wanted more creatures to help, but the daughter didn't. She said that if these can't protect the people why create more._

 _The king listened to his son. A low ranking official volunteered his services and told the king that he knew a way to stop the disappearances. He didn't give many details but enough to convince the king. Once he was turned, the official turned on the king and drained his life. He also drained the life of the son._

 _When he went after the daughter, she was cunning enough and has supernatural powers of her own to evade him. She fled the kingdom vowing revenge for her father and son._

 _She wandered the land from that time forward. Whenever she found love and gave birth, the official would find her and kill the husband and child but would miss killing her. This went on for centuries, a cat and mouse chase that went on throughout the world. She wasn't safe anywhere and the official was becoming more and more powerful._

 _He created better and more gifted creatures to do his biding. But, she found a weakness to the creatures. They burned easily because of the poison, or venom, is very concentrated and flammable._

 _After centuries on the run, the daughter was fed up and asked for a truce. It was granted. Knowing that she would be walking into a trap, she made arrangements to meet out in the open. They did._

 _The covenant that they agreed to was that she be able to give birth to a child and have it live. He wanted the child to be raised by him and she said no. She wanted the child to grow up and know she was loved and cared for. He didn't want her to know the truth about her mother and his own existence. She asked what he wanted then._

 _He said that she could raise the child until her fifth birthday, after that she would not have any contact, whatsoever, after that time. The child would be placed in the care of the father's family to be raised and have no knowledge of either of their unnatural abilities. The mother said that neither of them could have any contact with the child after her fifth birthday. He agreed. The mother made one last pitch and that was that he could not harm nor kill any family member, whether they are alive or otherwise. He unknowingly agreed._

 _After both agreed to the covenant, they went their separate ways._

I sat there reeling. No one moved or talked through the story. I heard the door open and close several times but no one interrupted him.

"What made you believe the story?" I asked.

"I went out hunting one night and came across her scent. It was an intoxicating smell. I followed it until I found her. She knew what I was and was intrigued by my different dietary lifestyle."

"Which is?" Jamie asked.

"I have never drank from a human. I have always lived off animals and that intrigued her. She had never met someone like myself to abstain from the bloodlust."

"Oh." Jamie said.

"She introduced herself as Catherine, but had many names that she went by. I asked what she wanted and she asked if I heard the stories of old about the creation of my kind. I told her I have. She told me the story was true and that she was the daughter of the king. Something about her told me to listen and I did.

The things she talked about were mind boggling even for me. We spent the rest of the night talking. She's a very compassionate woman and still revered, or in some cases, reviled today by those who believe the stories. She convinced me to leave Volterra and go to the New World.

I had spent almost three hundred years alone and isolated from my kind and when I was at my lowest she would come and lift my spirits. She said that I would find companionship but it would not happen for some time and to be patient and learn and teach those willing to learn.

I listened and followed her advice and found out that I liked teaching more than I did learning. It gave me a purpose to keep going.

One day, She sought me out and asked for my help. I obliged without question. She needed my help with her pregnancy and made me swear to not tell anyone, including my family about the baby.

I agreed but told her that it would be difficult with two of my kids. She told me not to worry about them. They know not to talk about what they see and if they did she would make it to where they would forget what they saw.

When you were born, she knew you were special and that it would change how our world existed. She knew he was out there plotting on how to get around the covenant and kill her offspring without breaking the covenant itself. He knew that if he did, she would return. She made plans to counter him with her own plotting. She knew he knew she gave birth and the race was on to protect her child.

The last time I saw her was twenty-five years ago. She came to me and told me that there will come a time when her daughter will show up with my daughter and that I will know who and what she is. I wasn't to say or do anything until she made her own gift known. After that, I vowed to protect you and do everything in my power to help and guide you. Your mother made sure you would have every tool there is to help bring her back. Without her, there is no balance in our world.

"Something doesn't make since." Jamie said, "Did you know that Alice's friend from the diner was Abby?"

"Yes."

"Then you knew Abby's mother was going to come to you for help?"

"At the time, no. It wasn't until her mother had to leave that I found out what Abby was capable of and that she went back to see Alice. Her mother told me that Abby would able to walk through time and visit anyone and anywhere she desired."

"How many have met Abby's mother?" Jamie asked.

We looked around and saw that everyone except Bella, Nessie, Jacob and Seth raised their hands.

"So, you all knew that the story was real and not some fairy tale?"

"Yes. She found us and told us, in her own way that the story was true." Jasper said.

"Were all the animal shifters killed?" Jamie asked.

"Yes. They're known today as werewolves. But, there were other creatures out there that wanted Abby's family destroyed and they were very cunning and almost unknown. Human shifters. We thought they didn't take orders from anyone, but it seems they have made their own agreement with the official." Carlisle explained.

"What's this vampire's name?" I croaked.

"Aro."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 27

"Let me guess, you all have a history with him too?" Jamie asked.

"You can say that." Garrett spoke up.

Not wanting to hear anymore, I stand up and make my way through everyone, pushing them to the side. I hear them call after me but I'm too numb to answer. I need to leave and be by myself for a minute or a lifetime. I look outside and see that the snow is falling heavier now. I want to leave and go home but that's out of the question.

Tanya and Alice walk towards me talking but I can't hear them due to the roar echoing in my head. I run up the stairs and into Alice's room. Shutting the door, I look around and see my bag by the nightstand. I pick it up and hug it to me. Something familiar. I hear people knocking on the door and want me to talk. It would make it easier for me to let out my feelings. However, I have no idea what those are yet.

I see the closet and walk over to it. Opening up the door I see that it's big enough and close the door behind me. It's dark inside. I don't turn the light on. Instead, I feel my way to the far end of the closet and sit on the floor. Once, I know the wall is close I put my bag down in front of me and use it as a barrier.

Folding my knees and bringing them to my chest, I wrap my arms around them and start rocking back and forth. All my defenses are crumbling down around me and I have no idea how to rebuild them. I feel exposed and don't like it all.

I let my mind wonder. This time last week, I was worried about a corporate visit at work and getting my last research paper done and prepping for my oral exam. Graduation is six weeks away. My life had order and I had control over it. Now…

Now, nothing is normal. My life, as it was, is gone.

No more.

How can I go back to that, now?

Thinking about the story and how real it sounded, yet it was so general that it could have been made up. There are too many holes in the story. How is it possible that the king, my grandfather, have a long life span? It didn't sound like it was a long time, but Carlisle said centuries had passed. Does that mean, I'm half immortal?

Not something I want to think too much on, yet. I mean, my life so far hasn't been the best and if I have to live for centuries dealing with what I have dealt with, I'm not sure I want to live that long.

Then, there's the creature, my grandfather created. A vampire. Of all the mythological creatures out there, my ancestor created the ultimate monster. I can't count how many times I have read a novel and about them. And now, I'm living it.

My grandfather created the vampire…

And, it killed him and wants to kill my mom and, most likely, me.

Now, I'm the only hope she has to come back here and bring balance to the world. Where did she go?

I'm the only hope for her…

I'm the only hope…

She's doomed!

I thought that over and over for a long time. I can see shadows under the closet door and know that everyone must be there waiting for me to come out but I'm not going to. If I go out then I have to face my supposed destiny and I do not want to do that.

Why did you do this momma?

Why?

Why am I so important?

I feel myself going back and have no idea where.

Next thing I know is I'm standing in a kitchen. It's small, barely any room to move around in. I can hear cartoons on the television in the living room, sounds like _Alvin and the Chipmunks_. That was one of my favorites. I hear a young girl in there humming to herself.

A woman is standing at the sink washing dishes. She's tall, about my height and stature. Same color hair too, except where mine is short hers is long and flows down her back.

It doesn't look like she knows I'm here. I think it's my mom.

Turn around so I can see you.

I raise my hand and go to touch her, that's when she stops moving.

"Don't." She said.

I freeze.

Is she talking to me?

"Don't what, momma?" The girl asked.

"Nothing baby." The woman answered.

"Okay." The girl continues to hum.

We both stand there, her facing away from me.

We don't talk.

We don't dare disturb the moment.

Please turn around.

"Momma." I whispered when I can't take it anymore.

She grips the counter so hard that her knuckles are white. She's trying not to turn and see what I look like.

It must be killing her.

"I heard the story." I muttered. "Is it true?"

She stands there a minute before nodding. My shoulders slump and I bow my head.

"I don't think I can do this, momma." I admitted tears forming.

"Abigail, baby. I know it's a lot to take in, but you have what it takes to do this and so much more. I know you haven't had the best upbringing but it was to prepare you for this. Listen to your mentor. You know who it is. Listen to her. The others are there to guide and protect you. Find the journals and they'll lead you to me. I set everything out for you. Believe in yourself. You are my daughter."

She said that with such a desperation I have never heard before.

I can feel my body leaving but momma keeps talking.

"Abby. Finish the family tree. All the Cullens are related to you in one way or another. Once you prove it, it will be binding. Remember the story! And, tell them what happened to you. They'll know what to do. And, never forget, Abigail Anne. My love has never wavered for a moment of your life. Remember that above all else."

Back in the closet and in the same position I was in, I tightened my arms around my legs and press my head into my knees. That's when I started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Momma!" I wailed. My legs are muffling my screams.

I sit there rocking back and forth sobbing and calling for my mom with every ounce of my strength. I don't see the door open or the light come on. I don't know who is there cradling me or when I'm picked up and carried out of the closet and placed on the bed.

I'm mourning for the lose of my mother.

I'm upset because of all the hateful and mean things I thought when my mom abandoned me and left me to be raised by an aunt who only did it out of duty for family.

There was a needle prick and something cool entered my veins but I was too hysterical to care. It wasn't until I let the darkness pull me under that I calmed down.

It was his voice that entered my dream. He told me that I wasn't loved. He told me that I would never know what love is and if I did, it wouldn't last long.

It was his voice that told me that if my mother left me then why would anyone else love me?

He made me feel loneliness and said I was a freak. Nobody wanted to hang with the freak.

He voice echoing over and over again about my insecurities.

When I did wake up, it was dark. I can still hear his voice drifting about. I shake me head to make him disappear and that caused it to throb. My head hurt, both from crying so hard and from being congested. Alice was right again. My throat was parched and sore. And, every joint in my body hurt. Not to mention, my muscles feel like I've been running a marathon and protest every move I make. I'm pretty sure my eyes are red and swollen too.

I stretch and hear popping coming from everywhere. Opening my eyes, I see that Tanya is there looking back at me. She isn't smiling and her eyes are dark, almost solid black. There's a wrinkle between her eyes and I'm almost tempted to reach up and smooth it out.

She hasn't moved a muscle and that concerns me. When I can't take looking at her this way I go to turn on my back but she stops me and places her hand on my face. I close my eyes and feel my eyes fill up again.

I probably upset everyone in this house by my behavior and feel ashamed. She strokes my cheek and wipes the tears away.

"Abigail." She whispered.

I ignore her.

"Abigail. Look at me." She said with a bit more authority.

I open my eyes and look at her.

"Why are you crying, Love?"

"Ashamed." I croaked.

"Why are you ashamed?"

"My behavior."

"There is no need to be ashamed for your behavior, Sweetie. We would have been more worried if you didn't react at all."

"Sorry." I whispered.

"Shh. It's okay." She reassured me.

We lay there for a few minutes without talking. She's still stroking my cheek and my eyes are closed again. Her hand feels good on my cheek. I think I might have a fever. The aches are suggesting that.

"Abigail." She whispered.

"Hmm."

"I don't like seeing you that way. It tears my dead heart apart to see you in such distress and not be able to comfort you. Please don't do that again." She explained.

"Sorry I did that but it's hard." I stated.

"How?"

"To let myself be loved or taken care of."

"Why is that?"

"Everyone I have loved or expressed their love for me is no longer here." I admitted.

"I see." She whispered. "That's why you keep everybody at arm's length."

"That's one reason." I said.

"Want to tell my the other reason?"

"Not now." I said.

"I'm here for you Abigail. Do not ever forget that. I'm not going anywhere either." She said adamantly.

I nod.

I reach up to remover her hand but she wraps it around her hand. I try to pull away but she brings it up to her face. My hand was fisted and she soothes it out. Cupping her cheek, I let myself feel her.

Her skin is smooth and on the cool side. It's strange how something so cold and hard be so graceful in their movements. She closes her eyes and inhales, taking in my scent. She smiles when I start rubbing my thumb across her mouth and I hear her start purring. That is weird! Her whole body is vibrating and that makes me stop and stare in wonder.

"Don't stop." Tanya whispered, her voice deeper and huskier.

Taking that as my cue, I start exploring her face. Taking my finger, I trace her eyebrow and feel the soft hair there. Then, I run my finger along her eyelid and feel her long lashes. It's amazing how soft her hair is and the skin it's attached to is hard.

Tracing my finger down her face, from her forehead to her chin, I'm like a kid exploring something new for the first time. And, in a way, I am. Lying in front of me is a creature, my grandfather created a long time ago, that I thought only existed in novels and scary tales told to on dark stormy nights.

Trying not to think too much on that, I run my finger along her jaw and up the side of her face along her hairline, and then back down her nose and lips. The purring is picking up and her smell is getting stronger wrapping me in its folds and making me more relaxed.

Before I can comment on that, my stomach lets its presence known with a loud growl. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast and I have no idea how long ago that was. Talk about a mood killer.

"Let's get you something to eat." She chuckles.

Sighing, I turn over and go to get out of bed. Twisting my back from side to side, I hear the vertebrae pop. As I'm standing up, I feel Tanya's hand on my shoulder and flinch. Hoping she didn't catch that I stand and make my way towards the door but stop when she calls my name.

"Abigail."

"What?" I asked.

"Why did you flinch?"

"Don't like my back touched." I said shrugging.

She's in front of me in a heartbeat. The lamp on the nightstand is turned on and I see the concern written on her face, as she looks me in the eyes, beseeching me to tell her.

I swallow hard and slowly turn around. I hear her protest but she stops when I raise my shirt up to reveal the reason for flinching.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 28

On my back are several scars from when I was hit with a wire hanger. I stand there waiting for her to react and when I don't hear anything I turn to see what she's doing. She's standing there staring at me and her eyes are completely black. I swallow hard and go to lower my shirt but she stops me.

I jerk when I feel her cool fingers trace a scar.

"Shh. It's only my Abigail." She whispered.

I stand stock-still and let her trace several more scars.

"Was it your Aunt and Uncle?" She asked and I hear a bit of anger in her voice.

I was a bit concerned at how well she was taking this, though.

"A cousin." I murmured.

"The one you talked to earlier?" she bit out.

"No. He found out and…made it stop."

"How?"

"He beat the shit out of Thomas. He broke three ribs, a collarbone, and several facial bones. Not to mention ruptured his spleen."

"It wasn't enough." She whispered.

"He's in prison now, so…" I trailed off.

"He's still alive and that's more than he deserves."

She leans her head against my shoulder and brings one hand around my waist to my stomach while the other traces a scar on my lower back. I want to pull away but her hand on my stomach pulls me to her instead.

"I should have found you sooner and taken you away." She admitted.

"You couldn't have. The story said I had to be raised by my father's family."

"I could have stopped it from happening. I would have kept an eye on you and prevented anything like that from happening."

I stand there and contemplate what she said. I'm not sure it would have worked or if she could have stopped it. From what momma's personal assistant said, there were 'things' out there trying to twist my mind and that they had people from inside my family helping them. Was Thomas their agent? Or was he as twisted on his own to do this to me? If she stopped him, it could've been someone else.

I feel the tickling in the back of my throat and try to clear it but that's when the coughing starts. It starts off as a small cough but escalates enough to make my whole body shake. Tanya squeezes me a little harder and rubs my back, still bare.

"Let's get you some food and then bed, Love." Tanya whispered and kissed my neck.

Nodding, I let her lead me out of the room. I made a pit stop by the bathroom before going to the kitchen. It was quiet in the house. Once we were in the kitchen, Esme was there heating up some stew she made earlier. The only light on was one over the island. She was also cooking something that smell strongly of onions.

Sitting at the island, I rubbed my face a couple times to wake up more. After doing that and scratching my head I looked at Esme and she gave me a small smile. I'm pretty sure she heard everything I told Tanya in the room and I think she's trying to reassure me that I was okay.

"Where's everyone at?" I whispered.

I don't know why considering that only five people in the house sleep regularly.

"Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, Kate and Garrett went hunting. The others are keeping to themselves." Esme replied.

"Oh."

I sat there watching her strain the onions from the syrup she made. I know what she's doing. My aunt used to make the stuff for us kids every time we got sick. If one kid got sick, it would go through the whole house and everyone would get sick.

She made onion syrup to help with the congestion and it actually worked. She would put a teaspoon in a cup of hot tea for us to drink. As I was thinking that, the microwave beeped. Esme opened the door and placed a steaming bowl of stew in front of me with a couple pieces of bread. She, then, placed a huge mug in front me too. Hot tea. Apparently, she knew the recipe.

I took the bread in pulled apiece off and bite into it. Homemade!

"Homemade bread?" I asked.

"Yes." Esme said giving me a look of concern. Like she was asking if I liked it.

"I haven't had homemade bread in forever. It's delicious." I murmured between bites.

"Thank you, Abigail." She answered.

Nodding, I dug into the stew. It was just as good. Not paying anyone attention, I was a bit surprised that Tanya excused herself and left my side. Watching her walk away I couldn't help but stare. Turning to see Esme give me a small smirk, I lowered my head and continued eating.

She walked around the island and took Tanya's seat.

"Mind if I talk to you for a bit?" She asked.

"No." I replied.

"I want to apologize first of all."

"For what?" I asked.

"I overheard you and Tanya talking upstairs."

"Oh."

"Please forgive me."

"You're forgiven. I'm sure everyone will probably hear it eventually." I admitted.

I'm not happy by that but; I think they have the right to know why I act so weird around people.

"I want to talk to you about my own past. We are alike in so many aspects, Abby." She explained.

"Really?" I asked. How could we be alike?

"Yes, Abby, we are."

With that she went on and told me about her human life.

When she was sixteen, she fell out of a tree and broke her leg. The town doctor wasn't in that day but Carlisle was. She remembers seeing him and instantly fell for him. She only saw him the one time but it left a mark on her. Over the next several years, she compared the men who tried to woo her to the handsome doctor and no one measured up.

She asked her father if she could travel out west and teach. It was something she dreamed of doing. He told her no and that it wasn't something a young lady of her stature was entitled to. That was the time when women did as they were told to.

Instead, her father introduced her to a close friend of his and set them up for a date. She was the only one of her siblings to not marry and that was unacceptable. The man, Charles, was almost twice her age and she only accepted the date out of duty for her father. Shortly after that, the two were married and that's when things went downhill.

To the public, Charles seemed nice and affectionate, even courteous to everyone. But, once everyone was gone and the curtains closed, he turned into someone else. The beating she took over meaningless things weren't as bad as the verbal abuse. She could never do anything right around him. He commented about every little thing she did. And, when that wasn't enough, he would rape her and tell her she deserved it.

I sat there dumbfounded. When I wouldn't take a bite to eat, because I was so involved in her story, she would tap the countertop and make me eat before she would continue her story.

She asked her father if she could move back in and explained what was happening but he refused. He told her that she had to put up with it and learn to deal with being a dutiful wife. It's sad that that sort of thing still goes on in today's society.

When the United States entered World War I, Esme's husband went off to fight. She said that it was the happiest of her life. She had almost two years of peace and quiet, but that all changed when he returned. She said that he was a different man and that he became more violent.

She left him when she became pregnant. She didn't want to bring a child into a house like that. She moved to Milwaukee with some cousins but left when he found out where she was. A cousin was tipped off when he was asking if anyone seen her around. She moved to Ashland and gave birth to a boy but he only lived a few days.

The baby was the only thing that kept her going and when he died she had nothing left to live. She tried to commit suicide but when she leapt from a cliff nearby. She didn't die right away. However, the men who found her took her to the morgue and that's when Carlisle found her.

He changed her when he saw that it was the same young woman he met several years earlier. He, himself, had never forgot her and was sadden by the turn of events her life had taken.

"Abigail. It took me a long time to trust Carlisle and even Edward. I knew they both loved me, but it took a long time to realize that and accept what happened in the past was in the past. I had to let go of that part of myself to start living again."

I sat there looking at her. She has no idea how similar we both are.

"I'm telling you this to let you know that Tanya will do whatever it takes for you to realize that she isn't going anywhere. Neither are we. I hope you realize that sooner rather than later."

"It's hard." I croaked. I cleared my throat and continued. "I've been told my whole life that I wasn't worth loving or that I if did find love that it wouldn't last long."

"And, you believed it?" She asked.

"Not until Cody died, I didn't." I admitted.

She cups my face and looks me in the eyes.

"Those that hurt and abuse us had control and power over us. That's all it was. At some point in their lives, they lost that and took out what they lost on us. It took me a long time to figure it out. Carlisle is a saint. He never lost patience with me and I doubt Tanya will either. Let her in and talk to her. The more you don't talk about it, the more you're letting him control you."

I tried to look away but Esme kept me from it.

"It's going to take some time, I know, but we are all here for you."

I slowly nod as the tears stream down onto her hands. She doesn't move them either. She takes her thumbs and wipes them away. Then leans over and hugs me. No one has ever told me that before.

My aunt attempted to keep Thomas away and protect me, but it was a poor attempt. I could understand though. Who to protect, your son, whom you gave birth to, or the niece that landed on your porch after her mother left?

My uncle, on the other hand, blamed me for Thomas' reaction. He told me that if I hadn't been around, then Thomas would have been good. I was to blame for everything that happened in that house.

Josiah and William tried to shield me from the backlash I was receiving but they couldn't stop everything. I cried when they both left for the military, one to the marines the other to the army. I knew without them, it would be open season. Elizabeth and Jeremiah paid little attention to me and never showed their affections towards me.

When Esme broke the hug, she pulled back and looked at me.

"I can tell your temperature is rising. Why don't you go back up to Alice's room and I'll have Carlisle come up when he gets back. Did the tea help any?"

"Yeah. It did. I don't feel as congested. Thanks." I replied.

"Good."

"You know, my aunt used to make that all the time when I was growing up. When one kid got sick, we all did. I was the worst. Had bad allergies and was always congested. So, I knew what you were doing." I admitted.

"It's an old remedy and works pretty good." She stated.

I nodded and before I could stand up, Esme had my mug full of hot tea again.

I go to leave but stop and look at her.

"Esme." I said.

"Yes, hon."

"Do you still think of your son?" I whispered.

"All the time." she answered and I could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Thanks for telling me. It helped." I replied.

"Don't think anything of it, Abby. We're here for you now and no one is leaving you."

I nod and take off back up stairs. When I get to the second set of stairs, Rosalie and Emmett are making their way down. Rosalie stops and gives me a hug. Then kisses my forehead. Emmett ruffles my head and causes me to glare at him.

"Hey, Snot, how ya doin?" He asked with a huge smile.

"Who told you that?" I asked, miffed by my nickname.

"Jamie." He said cheerfully.

That boy!

"Leave her alone Emmett." Rosalie stated with a glare of her own. "Carlisle is almost here and wants to see how you're doing, Abby. I must admit you look like crap."

"Thanks. I feel like it too." I replied continuing up the stairs.

When I reached the top I see Tanya standing by the bathroom, waiting for me. I hand her my mug and go inside.

"Are you going to tell me how you got that nickname?" She asked with a smile of her own.

"No." I said and shut the door.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 29

The next three days were a haze. I ended up with an upper respiratory infection, bronchitis and a touch of pneumonia. When I get sick, I go all out. My fever spiked to a hundred and four before coming down and staying at one-oh-two.

With the fever came the chills. One moment I would be freezing so bad my teeth would chatter uncontrollably and my body would shake so bad I couldn't stop if I tried. The next moment, I would be so hot that sweat would be pouring off me like a faucet, drenching my hair and pajamas. Tanya would carry me to the bathroom to change and give me a sponge bath while someone else changed the sheets. I was too sick to protest.

I think I was told that Carlisle had called the store and explained my condition to the Boss. I was put on emergency medical leave. It seemed like my former life is slowly being cut away and I had no control over it.

When the weekend arrived, I was, more or less, myself. The cough was still causing me issues, that and my whole body ached. I felt like I've been hit by a semi. Every time I coughed, I felt like I was going to hack up a lung and my throat was raw. No one made me do anything. I was pretty much spoiled and I didn't mind one bit.

One night when I was trying to keep myself from hacking up a lung, and failing miserably, I was working on the family tree. I haven't told anyone about that bit of info until I found something. Of course, Alice knew what I was doing and stayed with me as I was searching. Tanya went hunting. After many attempts of trying to convince her that I was okay and threatening her when that didn't work, she left my side. Alice promised Tanya she wouldn't let me do anything extraneous and cause me to get sick again.

"I have a question?" I whispered, looking at a census record.

"Why I haven't asked you about my human life." she murmured.

When I didn't reply, she continued.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just waiting for the right moment."

"Or, you're scared of what you might hear." I countered.

"That too."

I closed the laptop and sat up and faced her. She mimicked me.

"I've known you for most of my life. And, when you showed up a couple of weeks ago, it felt right for some reason. Everyone in my family thought I was crazy when I talked about you all the time. You were real to me and when I told you, you just said that it was okay and that they didn't know any better. It seemed like you knew even then what I was doing and what my future was like."

I lowered my head to keep her from seeing my emotions. It's still hard to think about her and not what I witnessed when she was changed. I can tell this is hard for her too. She lost all her human memories when she changed and has spent all this time trying to remember anything from her human years. Granted, it was almost a hundred years ago, but Esme even has a few memories from her human years.

"When was the first time we met?" she whispered.

"I was four and you were five. I threw a ball to my dog and it went over our fence. When I went to go get it, I ended up with you. We sat near your house drawing in the dirt. You had long black hair that was tied in the back."

I spent the next hour telling her everything I could remember about going to see her. How she helped me in ways to stay away from Thomas. Some of her ideas worked, some didn't.

I told her that she was talking about Jasper then too. That brought a smile to her face. She made me tell how she first saw him too.

"You kept seeing him searching for something or someone and told me that he was meant for you." I said.

I knew everyone that was in the house could hear us, including Jasper. I felt peace and content and I'm not sure if that was what I was feeling or what he was feeling.

She had me explain what it was like to see her in the asylum and how she handled that. It was hard to go through that again. I told her that I spent almost every night with her in isolation. I would bring a book with me and read to her until I lost my voice and then just held her.

She felt bad about that but I explained that she kept reassuring me that everything would turn out right in the end. She always looked out for me and comforted me more than anyone else.

After I told her how I found her in the woods and thought she died, I had to tell how that affected me. I was a mess afterwards. I had to explain how I had to take a year off to get my head straight and then transferred to the local college to finish my degree. She tried to apologize but I told her that it wasn't her fault and that I was unaware of what she was becoming. If id did know then I would have been okay and just kept a lookout for her.

"You forgot a couple of things, Abby." She said.

"What's that?"

Instead of telling me she disappeared into the closet for second and came back with a bag. She opened it and gently placed a tattered hoodie in my lap. I bit my upper lip to keep from crying.

It was the hoodie I placed on her the last time I saw her in the woods. There were several tears and stains on it, but for the most part it was still in decent condition.

"When I saw you in the diner, I knew you were familiar but your scent. I was trying to figure out how you knew me but I couldn't form a question without you freaking out." She said.

"You were familiar too but I wouldn't let myself think too much on who because if I did I knew I would be heading to the mental hospital myself." I admitted.

"There's something else."

She grabbed my hand and placed the locket in it. It was still in immaculate condition. Rubbing it between my fingers I thought back when I was given it. It was my tenth birthday and it was the last time I saw my great grandma. She was so happy to see me and knew that I was having a hard time without my parents around.

She had given me the locket as an heirloom and told me that someone special gave it to her and someone she lost too. She told me to take care of it and that one day I would give it to someone special in return.

I try to give it back to Alice but she stops me and closes my fingers around the locket.

"It's yours. You can have it back now."

"It's actually yours." I said with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?"

"You gave it to your sister right before you…left. You told her that one day it would return to you but not for a while. For some reason, she understood what you meant."

We sat there for a few minutes thinking about the locket and how it found its way back to Alice.

"You know, your sister loved and looked up to you." I said.

"She did?"

"Yeah. She believed what you were capable of and never doubted you. She told me that she knew that you were still out there somewhere."

She looked at me with raised brows.

"I have no idea what she meant by that. Only that she said you were more beautiful than she remembered seeing you at home."

"Huh."

By the time I finished telling Alice all our times together, it was past midnight and I could barely keep my eyes open. I fell asleep on top of the covers. My last thought before passing out was that I hope she found some closure about her human years.

I got a call the next day from my aunt and asked if it was okay if my birthday dinner was pushed back to Friday. Little Jeremiah had a concert and soccer games all week and she didn't have the time to let the s'getti cook with no one there. I was okay with that and explained to her that I was getting over being sick when she asked why I was talking weird. She asked if I needed anything and told her that my "friend's" dad was a doctor. After she was satisfied that I wasn't at death's door, she hung up.

When my birthday did arrive, it seemed that everyone was excited about the celebration. I wasn't as excited. I mean I'm almost a third of a century old. I cringe just thinking about it. I'm sure everyone besides Jamie and probably Bella, Jacob and Seth think it's funny that I consider myself getting old. Compared to Tanya and Kate, I'm only a blink of an eye in time compared to their long existence.

"Happy birthday, Love." Tanya whispered.

"Mmph." I replied into my pillow.

"What was that, I didn't get it?" she chuckled.

"I'm old." I replied.

The bed was shaking from her laughing so hard.

"Abigail. You have nothing on me or Kate."

"Still."

"When I first saw you, I thought you were still a teenager. You do not look that old."

"That's the Native American gene." I stated.

"Come on. Let's get up. Everyone is waiting for you downstairs."

Groaning, I flipped onto my back and did my usual stretching before getting out of the bed. Shuffling to the bathroom, I can hear Tanya chuckling besides me.

"I'm surprised that you've gotten used to the bed."

"Well, I've already been contaminated with vampire cooties." I reminded her.

I can hear several people laughing and Emmett's is the loudest.

I'm in there brushing my teeth when I hear the door opening and Tanya walks in. Rolling my eyes, I continue brushing. When I was done I go to leave but Tanya stops me with her hand on my waist.

When I look up to see what she wants, she leans into me and forces me into the counter. She cups my face with her free hand and kisses me. It starts out with just a peck on the lips but she continues kissing I can't help but let her lead. I'm having an inner battle that's at a stale mate. Part of me wants to touch Tanya and continue while the other part is telling me stop it saying that it's not right.

Instead of putting my hands on her, I grip the counter so tight; I think my knuckles are white. As the kiss deepens, my brain feels like it's short-circuiting and only when her hand on my waist starts moving up my waist to my chest that I pull away. She has pressed herself to me and causes me to jerk in reaction.

"Too much. Too much." I murmur and turn my head away from her.

"Shh. It's only me, Abigail." She tries to reassure me.

"I know. It's just..." I can't explain the fear I have right now.

"Just what, Abigail?"

"I don't know. I-I-I don't know." I admitted anxiously.

She turns my head and presses her forehead to mine.

"It's okay, Abigail. I can wait." She whispered.

"You shouldn't have to." I replied.

I feel like an idiot. I can't even let her kiss me without freaking out.

"Abigail. Look at me."

I open my eyes and look.

"I understand what you've been through. And, I will wait for however long it takes for you to be comfortable with me. Don't forget that."

I nod.

We stay like that for a few minutes and I remover her hand from me and grasp it, squeezing it for reassurance she squeezes me back.

We break apart when Jamie pounds on the door, making me jump.

"If you two are done making out, I really need to get in there." He shouts.

Sighing, Tanya said, "Let's go."

We walk out and Jamie rushes in taking his shirt off before closing the door.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked as we walk down the stairs.

"He just found out we don't sleep." She said with a smile.

"Okay?"

"He's been sleeping in Rosalie and Emmett's room and they are more…active than the rest of us, other than Kate and Garrett." She explained.

"Oh." I answered.

I probably could've gone my whole life not knowing that bit of info. It's almost as bad as catching your parents going at it. Almost.

Once we walked into the kitchen, Esme and Carmen were cooking again. The smell of bacon and sausage made my mouth water. They told me once that they didn't mind it and that it made them feel more human. I wasn't going to complain because they were good cooks. Both women came around and hugged me and wished me a happy birthday.

That was everyone else's cue to come and do the same. I made myself accept the hugs and well wishes. I think Jasper helped and looking at Edward as he nodded back I was right.

Instead of the food they normally make, they only made biscuits and gravy with bacon and sausage. I had two helpings before Jamie found his way back downstairs. He got several laughs as he walked in still grumbling to himself. Thinking about what Tanya told me, I cringed just thinking it.

"At least, you don't have to witness it first hand." Edward whispered from next to me and made me cringe more.

"Sorry." I mumbled back.

When we were done eating, Emmett, who became impatient, took it upon himself to lift me up and carried me to the family room. It was decorated for me and several presents were sitting on the table.

To say that these people…beings have money to spend is ridiculous. I got a stack of gift cards from Edward and Bella for several different bookstores in Denver. It wasn't the gift cards themselves that impressed me but the amount on them. A hundred dollars each did. How many books can I get for all these gift cards? After I counted them, I had close to ten thousand dollars worth. Good Lord!

Esme and Carlisle gave me plane ticket to their island outside Brazil. They own an island?

Rosalie and Emmett promised to take me car shopping. Jamie told them that I owned a small car, "clown car" he called it, and they said it wasn't a car fit for me. I liked it. I can't imagine what kind of car they have in mind. I've seen what they drive and I know my brothers would be in heaven if they got their hands on one.

Jasper gave me tickets to visit every Civil War battlefield and promised me he would come along and talk about each battle. Every historians dream and to have someone who actually fought in it makes it ten times better.

Alice wanted to take me on a shopping spree and when I admitted that I hate shopping the look of horror she gave me had me backpedaling and wanted to change my admission. Instead, she gave me every lifetime subscription to all the genealogy websites and a plane ticket to see every place my ancestors were born. I liked that one better. She did, however, tell she was still taking me shopping.

Jamie said he spent the better part of a year looking for my present and I was impressed that he found it. He found every first edition of H.G Wells' books and a first edition of Sherlock Holmes, my favorite authors. One of the Wells' books was even signed.

Kate and Garrett gave me season passes to the Rockies baseball and Broncos football games. And, they are great seats too. They also gave me gift cards for jerseys and tee shirts for when I go to the games. Score!

Eleazar and Carmen gave me round trip tickets to Europe with stops in England, France, Germany, Spain and Slovakia, where Tanya and Kate are from. They also gave me private passes to the British Museum, The Louvre, Versailles and the Prado Museum in Spain.

Next, was Jacob, Nessie and Seth's gift. They saw how stressed I was and how I hate being touched. So, they gave me gift cards to every attraction in the state, not to mention, to the comedy corner in Denver and Colorado Springs, then, a gift card to Dave and Buster's.

The only person left was Tanya and I didn't see anything she wrapped.

"It's a surprise, Abigail." She told me.

Okay. Not sure if I should be happy or nervous about that.

During the presents, I started getting calls from my family. The first person to call was Josie. As soon as he said happy birthday snot, I hung up on him.

"Okay, Abby. We're all dying to know how you got that nickname." Kate said smirking.

"Not telling." I said when my phone started ringing.

"I'm sure Jamie could tell us." She replied.

"Don't know it." He said, "But I can tell you what she called her teddy bear."

"Hey, Josie." I answered my phone ignoring everyone.

"What did she call it?" Emmett asked.

Jamie looked at me smiling and then looked at everyone else.

"She called him Teddy." He said.

"That's original." Rosalie replied.

Everyone else laughed. I got off the phone with my brother and saw that everyone was looking at me with expectant smiles.

"When I was little I was given the bear by William and when he said, 'here's your teddy bear,' and I thought that was his name. Teddy. The Bear." I explained.

"How much older is he?" Eleazar asked.

"Josiah is the oldest. He's fourteen years older than me. Then, there's William. He's twelve years older. Thomas is next at nine. Had a brother named Henry, but he lived only a year. Elizabeth is next at four years. Last, is Jeremiah. Two years separates us."

"So, you're the baby?" Emmett asked.

"Yep. And, they let me know that too." I said.

After that, my phone went crazy with people calling me. That was everyone's cue to go about business and left Tanya and me alone in the family room. I stretched out on the couch and laid my head on her lap. Talking with Little Jer, Tanya slowly stroked my hair. It felt good.

Once my phone stopped ringing, I lay there and dozed. Getting over being sick sucks as much as being sick does. I have no energy to do much and the coughing that still hung around was no picnic either. Carlisle said that was the last to go and it took a while to stop.

"Abigail." Tanya whispered.

"Hmm." I mumbled.

"How come this doesn't bother you?" she asked still stroking my head.

"Cuz it reminds me of my mom. She used to do it all the time." I murmured.

She didn't reply and I was grateful for it. I couldn't help but think of what momma would have given me if she were here.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 30

When Friday arrived, I was arguing with everyone in the house. For one, I had a severe case of cabin fever and was ready to go crazy from seeing snow everywhere I looked. The other reason was because everyone thought that I needed someone to come with me for protection. That would make them argue amongst themselves in who would be coming.

I can see it now, introducing Tanya or Alice to my aunt.

" _Yes, Aunt Eliza, this here is my mate. Don't be afraid, she's only a thousand year old vampire and knows how to control herself around us humans. And, that there is my imaginary friend Mary Alice; you know the one you thought I made up. Well, she's real all right and she happens to be your grand aunt, Grandma Cynthia's sister._ "

I wonder what she would think that if I actually told her that.

I finally had to put my foot down and told them that I didn't want anyone to come, except Jamie, because my aunt was expecting him to show up anyways. That brought on another round of arguing. I rolled my eyes and shook my head before leaving everyone and walked outside to the nice Mercedes waiting for us. Carlisle said we could borrow his car for the day.

After I started up the car, Tanya was at the door in an instant with a sad look on her face. She had pleaded with me to let her come along. I explained that I wanted to spend one evening having a normal dinner with my family and not think about what my future will be like and that I wanted to ease my family into me having someone back in my life. They're gonna be shocked to hear me dating again.

"You know Chief, I think you should have at least let someone come along. It wouldn't hurt." Jamie said as we made our way onto the interstate.

"My life has been turned upside down, Jamie. I don't know if I'm coming or going anymore." I admitted.

"I know you've dealt with a lot the last couple of weeks, but I don't think you should shut them out, especially now."

"I'm not shutting them out. I just want one night of normalcy. It's the last little bit that is keeping me from completely losing my mind. That and you." I said.

"Really?"

"When I see you, I know I'm not exaggerating this. You're keeping me grounded."

"Huh. You're welcome." He laughed.

"Yeah. Thanks." I replied. "So, you seemed to be taking this all in stride. How's that?"

"I don't know. I guess, when I saw you disappear from sight that night when you went on Titanic, Alice explained what you did."

I raised my brows. "Sorry about that. I wanted to tell you but had to prove it to myself first."

"It's okay. I understand. It wasn't until that night after you came back that she told me what she was. I have to admit, I was freaked out."

"You're taking it pretty good though."

"Meh. I just go with the flow."

"That's good. You're doing better than I am."

"That's because I'm not saving the world from whatever it is your saving it from."

"Good point."

We spent the rest of the drive back to Colorado Springs talking about mindless stuff. It felt good to just have a normal conversation. We arrived at my aunt's house around five and would have been there earlier but a traffic jam outside of Denver took us almost an hour to go through.

When we pulled up into the double driveway, I saw a car parked in the street.

"Wonder who that is?" Asked Jamie.

I only shrugged. Most likely, one of Aunt Eliza's quilt ladies or someone.

We could hear my aunt talking animatedly to someone and seems like she was enjoying herself.

"That's a nice car." Jamie commented as we walked up the steps onto the porch.

I stopped and gave it a good look. It was a sleek silver car. No idea what make or model it was, but I could tell it was an expensive car. That gave me pause as to who was in the house. It wasn't until I heard the familiar booming laughter that I knew who was in there and I was not a happy camper.

Gritting my teeth and clenching my fists, I walked inside and saw my aunt sitting in a chair talking to Tanya and Emmett, on the sofa, and a picture album sitting on Emmett's lap. Great! Aunt Eliza's showing pictures of me as a kid. I'm never going to live this down and by the look on Emmett's face; I know he's coming up with all sorts of comments and jokes.

Jamie took one look between all of us and went into the kitchen, apparently, testing the s'getti sauce…or getting out of the line of fire. Smart move!

"Abby. You finally made it. I was about to send out the National Guard for you two." Aunt Eliza said.

She stood up and gave me a hug, which I returned.

My aunt is a little shorter than me with pepper and salt hair. She has a few white streaks but they highlight the rest of her hair. Her hairstylist told her once that people pay a lot of money to get her color.

She has a bit of a stoop and was forced to use a cane last year when she kept staggering around and almost falling. She has a history of falling and even broke a hip once. Josie and Will wanted to get her a walker but she refused to use it. She's gotten more stubborn the older she gets.

"Traffic jam." I answered eyeing the two vampires over her shoulder.

How did they beat us here?

"Hey, Abster. We were wondering where you've been all week. Missed you in class." Emmett boomed, ignoring my glare.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Your classmates come by to see where you've been and to drop off your binder. I told them you were sick." Aunt Eliza answered.

"Oh."

Classmate's right.

"Jamie Charles, you better not be in there eating that sauce." Aunt Eliza shouted.

"No Ma'am. Just tasting it to see if you have all the right ingredients." Jamie answered.

"That boy!"

She walked off into the kitchen to see what Jamie was doing.

"This is a good picture of you, Abby." Emmett said holding up the album and pointing at a picture of me in a pirate's costume.

I was ten years old in that one and William was dressed as a zombie. He took me trick or treating that year. He was home on leave after serving a year in Iraq.

Before I could ask what they were doing here, my aunt spoke up.

"Are your classmates staying for dinner?"

"I don't think so." I said, looking at them.

"I don't think their digestive system could handle the food." I muttered more to myself than to my aunt.

They looked at each other for a moment. I'm guessing they're having a quiet conversation.

"We would love to stay for dinner." Emmett shouted with a huge smile.

I stood there stunned. I didn't think they could eat human food. Tanya flashed over to me and cupped my face.

"Don't be mad, Abigail." She whispered. "Alice had a vision and saw us here. She wasn't very specific either."

I closed my eyes and lowered my head. She leaned her forehead against mine.

"I know you wanted this to be just your family, Abigail and I know you're struggling to keep your two worlds separate, but Alice was adamant about us being here."

I sighed and looked at Tanya. She seemed so sincere and worried that I only nodded.

"I thought you guys couldn't eat food." I whispered.

"We can, but we can't keep it inside us for long." Tanya answered.

"And, it tastes repulsive too." Emmett added.

"So, that's why Alice isn't here herself?" I asked.

They both nodded.

"Coward." I muttered.

They both laughed. That was when my phone decided to let me know a text just arrived. I have a feeling I know who it's from too.

 _I'm not a coward, Abby. I just don't eat food._

Sure. She's too weak to eat I thought and smiled.

"Dinner is done. Go get washed up." Aunt Eliza yelled from the kitchen.

This ought to be interesting. I thought going to the bathroom down the hall to wash up. Tanya was right behind me and grabbed my butt causing me to let out a small yelp. I looked behind me and saw her giving me an innocent smile.

It's a strange thing seeing two vampires sitting at the table with food in front of them. Both, Jamie and I were staring at them waiting for their first bite. Usually, I would be half way done with my first plate, but I couldn't help but smile as I watched Tanya slowly take a small bite of spaghetti and chewing. Her calm demeanor was warring with her repulsion at eating human food and I found that amusing.

Emmett, who was sitting next to Jamie, was shoveling the food in faster than I thought anyone could. I don't think he was even chewing the stuff just swallowing it whole.

"Your uncle and brothers will be here shortly." Aunt Eliza said as she was pouring dressing over her salad.

"That's fine." I replied.

I really don't want my uncle to see the two extra people here eating. He's a hard man and doesn't like change too much. That explains why almost all my brothers and sister took off after high school. They got tired of his "tough love" approach to life.

Both Emmett and Jamie were on their second plates of food and didn't look like either was going to slow down anytime soon. It was then that I felt Tanya's leg press against mine and made me stop bouncing said leg up and down.

It seems that the more she touches me, the more I feel at ease. I can't understand why I'm getting this way and am a bit scared of it too. It seems like she wants or needs to have some kind of physical contact with me and I'm allowing it. I'm starting to crave her touch just the same. It took Cody several months to get to this point and only a couple weeks with Tanya.

Outside, we heard a loud rumbling and music playing as a truck pulled up. That had to be Josie and Will. Sounds like Josie fixed his truck too. I could hear the two laughing loudly as they came up the driveway.

Tanya gave me a strange look when I suddenly stiffened next to her. The two brothers always showed their love by joking around and messing with me. They knew I have issues with the whole touching thing and that caused them to hug or shoving me in a playful manner to make me uncomfortable. They would stop when I start going into a panic attack and then feel bad afterwards. Hope they don't do that now.

It sounded like a herd of elephants when they entered the house making the chandelier rattle.

"Hey, you boys settle down now and get in here." Aunt Eliza said.

I had a fork full of food that I was bringing to my mouth when they walked in, still laughing. Josie came up behind my chair and hugged me, shaking me from side to side, almost causing my food to slide off the fork. When he was done he ruffled my hair and kissing the top of my head.

"Happy Birthday, baby sis." He said.

"Yeah. Happy birthday Snot." Will replied doing the same thing Josie did and then sticking his wet finger in me ear causing me to jump.

"Gross!" I yelled rubbing it and trying to the saliva out.

After giving my aunt a hug and kiss they both said hi to Jamie and then waited for me to introduce them to the two inhumanly beautiful people at the table.

"Josiah, William, these are my classmates, Tanya and Emmett. Tanya, Emmett, Josiah and William, my two annoying very OLD brothers. " I announced, enunciating the word old.

"Hey, watch it Snot. We may be older than you but that doesn't mean we can still hold you down and tickle you." Will said with a mischievous grin.

They walked into the kitchen and grabbed their food. We can hear their arguing from the table and Aunt Eliza muttered what their problem was.

"They're probably arguing on who gets to sit next to her." I said pointing my fork at Tanya.

Just as I thought, both men came back into the dining room and Josie sat down next to Tanya, while an annoyed looking Will sat next to Emmett.

It was quiet for a little bit as the two new comers ate. I couldn't help but smirk at them as they stole glances at the two vampires. Jamie was trying to hold in his own smirk but failed.

"So, what's with the nickname you gave Abby?" Emmett asked.

Oh man!

"She never told you guys?" Will said around a mouth full of food.

"No." Emmett and Tanya said at once.

"When Abby was five, her dog died and she cried so hard that snot was coming out like a faucet. I mean, I didn't know anyone had that much in them." Josie said with relish.

"Or, the time when her pet fish, _Fish_ , died and wanted to bury him, but Josie just flushed him down the toilet. It took almost three hours to calm her down. She had snot everywhere. She wanted him to reach into the toilet and bring him back." Will added.

"Or, When Jeremiah tore her teddy bear's, _Teddy_ , arm off and she acted like he dismembered her best friend." Josie added.

"What we're saying is that she gets kinda carried away when she cries." Will confessed.

Everyone was laughing and I was blushing so hard, my ears felt hot. What can I say? I'm an emotional person.

"What was the name of your dog, Chief? Dog, Puppy? Wait, wait, Fido?" Jamie laughed.

"His name was Lucky Boy." I replied trying hard not to smile and couldn't.

We all laughed when my uncle pulled up into the driveway. They were telling stories about my childhood, much to my embarrassment, when Uncle Jeremiah walked in and someone else. My heart stopped and everyone froze when the other person walked around my uncle and stepped up to me.

"Guess who got out of prison early?" Uncle Jeremiah announced.

It was Thomas.

That's what Alice saw.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 31

I sat there, shocked, seeing the person who was the bane of my existence for the better part of fifteen years standing next to me. I clenched my jaw, trying not to do anything rash or stupid, like stab him with my fork. Every muscle taunt and ready to launch myself, either towards him or away. I haven't decided yet.

Why couldn't Alice call and warn me?

I can tell that everyone at the table was just as shocked as I was. I can feel the tension pouring off Tanya beside me. I didn't dare take my eyes off of Thomas fearing he would do something. He bent over to look me in the eye and smirked.

"Aren't you happy to see me sis?" He jeered.

I just sat there glaring at him.

"Ah, come on. I know I've missed you, baby sis."

"Leave her alone." Josiah snapped coming out of his own shocked stare.

Everyone but me turned to look at Josiah.

"Well, big brother one and two. Didn't see you guys there. It's great seeing you two too." Thomas said.

I could hear the sarcasm dripping with that statement.

Here's the thing. Neither of them are fond of the other. I don't know what happened after Josiah saw Thomas beat me, but since then, they have been at odds with one another. I think Josie told Will what happened too and he's not happy either.

"Hey, Tommy Boy thought you were still locked up. Did you behave for the other inmates?" Will asked.

That made everyone chuckle.

"No. I didn't. Good behavior. Dad came and got me. I figured I'd surprise our sweet lil' sister here on her special day." Thomas answered looking back at me.

My uncle left into the kitchen, apparently to get himself some food. My aunt excused herself and followed.

Thomas is still leaning towards me and I still haven't taken my eyes off him. I know from experience not to lose eye contact because that opened him up for an opportunity to hit me. I always had to be on my guard around him. I don't think Josie or Will knew how much trouble Thomas was for me.

"Are you going to introduce me to your gorgeous friends here?" He asked and made my skin crawl.

"Hello. My name is Tanya." She purred.

I whipped my head around and looked at her. She was wound tight and I can tell she's trying to keep her composure. After I explained to her what Thomas did, she's been planning on how to "take care" of my problem. I told her not to. It was my problem to deal with and she replied saying that as my mate, whatever my problems are is hers too.

Her eyes have darkened significantly and when I looked over at Emmett, his has too. He looked like he was about to launch himself over the table to protect me.

Jamie gave me a sad smile and knew what I was feeling. I had explained some of what happened to me when we moved in together and he understood some of my issues. Of course, I didn't tell him everything.

It was then that three things happened at the same time. Will got up from his chair and was walking towards the kitchen, probably to find out what happened with Thomas' early release. My aunt and uncle are in there arguing and we are catching snippets of it in the dining room.

Three cell phones started beeping over and over, but we were still getting over our shock at seeing Thomas. Jamie pulled his phone out to look who was texting him.

While I was still looking between Tanya and Emmett to gauge their reactions, Thomas slid his finger up my arm, sending shivers up my arm and making me flinch.

"Still like that, uh sis." He said as he saw the goose bumps rise on my arm.

I grabbed Tanya's fork with my left hand and brought it around slashing Thomas' face, leaving a streak of four lines of blood and spaghetti sauce. I didn't care if there were two vampires here. All I cared about was inflicting as much pain as I could to the person who caused me so much pain.

Without waiting for a reaction from anyone, I launched from my chair, sending it to the floor, and tackled Thomas. Screams were coming from every direction. Thomas was howling from the scratch I gave him. I was screaming at him for touching me. My aunt and uncle came in to see what was going and they were screaming at me to get off Thomas.

I was straddling him with my knees on his chest and I stabbed his right shoulder with the fork and kept punching him with my right hand. Not caring what I was doing, Thomas did punch in to my face and caused me to see stars. It did little to deter me from inflicting as much pain as I could to him.

It was only when a strong pair of warm arms lifted me off him that I stopped. I struggled to get loose and continue my task but was tossed over a shoulder and carried out of the house to the backyard. When Josiah set me down, I tried to bolt back to the house but he grabbed my shoulders and barked at me to stop.

Standing there in front of him, I was shaking with pure unadulterated rage and panting so hard I was practically heaving. My fists were clenched so tight that my knuckles were white and I my nails were digging into my palms.

Josiah had to softly smack my face to get me to pay attention to what he was saying. That only pissed my off more and I glared at him daring him to hit me again.

"Hey. Abby. Calm down!" He repeated.

I finally focused on him and started to calm down.

"Geez, kid." He uttered and then pulled me into a hug.

At first, I stiffened but then relaxed and that's when the tears started. I cried for my lack of control around Thomas. I was easy prey for him and he knew it. He only had to touch me to provoke an outburst.

When I finally calmed down enough, I wiped my eyes and hissed when I felt my cheek. I could hear Josiah mutter obscenities and that upset me more. I know he tried to keep me safe, but he wasn't my keeper. I never blamed him or Will for not stopping what was happening. I just chalked it up to fate and bad luck.

Will walked out and saw the two of us having a moment and he wanted in on the action. Walking up to me he ruffled my hair and then pulled me into a hug, squeezing me so hard I lost my breath. Emmett, Tanya and Jamie were standing by the back door.

"Remind me not to piss you off ever again." Will stated.

"Do you want to go back inside?" Josiah asked with his arms crossed making his muscles bulge. I can tell he's barely keeping his cool.

"No. I don't want to see _him_." I hissed.

"Okay. I'll go let mom and dad know." He said.

"I have a great idea. There's something we should have done nine years ago and didn't. I think we both should remedy that tonight." Will addressed.

We both gave him a curious look.

He clapped his hands in glee and continued, "I say we take our kid sister out for a drink or two or twenty."

They both shot me a look of pure joy.

"I think that's a great idea." Josiah said smirking.

Oh man!

"Great! I'll let the parents know. Want to go to Darla's?"

"Yeah. I think that's a good place to go." Josiah agreed.

"Great!" Will said giving me his own smirk, and left.

This could either be a good or bad thing.

"Let me grab my keys and we'll go. You think your friends want to go?" Josie asked.

I looked over at the three and saw the same smirk Josie and Will had. I sighed and nodded.

"See you out front."

With that Josie went inside and left me to my friends.

I rolled my eyes and walked up to them. Tanya enveloped me in a hug. I welcomed her cold embrace and her smell helped me calm down more.

"Sorry about that." I muttered into her shoulder.

"It's okay Love. If you didn't, I would have. I still want to teach him a lesson." She whispered back.

"Damn, Abby! I didn't know you had it in you." Emmett laughed.

"I did," Jamie admitted.

He didn't elaborate on how he knew; he just shrugged his shoulders and walked a short way from us. He was referring to an incident when I was walking to my car one night after class and some idiot came up behind me and tried to have his way with me. I made him wish he hadn't been born when I elbowed him in the stomach then stomped on his foot. He cried out and let me go, which I turned around and used my palm to throat punch him.

He lied on the ground in a heap. Jamie saw the whole thing happen. I made sure that I would never be at the receiving end of Thomas' hand again.

Tanya pulled me away and cupped my cheek. Her cool hand felt good. I can tell my cheek was starting to swell and the stinging was still there. When I looked into her eyes, I saw that they were pitch black again.

"You need to go hunt." I muttered low enough for only them to hear me.

"And, miss you getting hammered. Hell no!" Emmett boomed.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'm not leaving your side…except."

She didn't have to finish. They had to get rid of the human food they ate.

"Want me to wait for you guys?" I asked.

"No. We know where it is. We passed it on the way here." Tanya explained.

She turned me around and walked with me around the back of the house to the front.

"Josiah wants you to ride with him. We'll take Rosalie's car and meet you there." She said to me.

"Jamie can you drive Carlisle's car for us?" she asked him holding out the keys.

How did she get those from me?  
Jamie's eyes glazed over and a look of awe crossed his face. He slowly reached for the keys and held them like they would break if he handled them too hard.

"This is the best moment of my life," he mumbled.

I rolled my eyes.

Tanya held me back for a moment while the boys walked ahead. She turned me to her and stared at me for a minute before talking.

"Believe me, Abigail. My eyes are black not because I need to hunt."

"Then why…" I stopped when she wrapped her arm around my neck and pulled me to her.

The kiss that followed made my toes curl and my stomach clench. Tanya has never kissed my like this and I wondered why that was. When I tried to pull away, she used her other hand and grabbed my waist to pull me closer to her. After, what felt like forever, we pulled a part. I was gasping for air and Tanya stared intently at me.

"If we didn't have to go to the bar, I would take you back to your house and do that all night and maybe something more."

"I might let you too." I admitted.

The look on her face when I said that almost made me recant my statement. She leaned for another kiss. This one wasn't as deep or searing as the last one and made me disappointed.

"Emmett is wondering what's taking us so long. So is your brother." She whispered.

With that we walked out front. Jamie was already gone and Emmett was sitting in the driver's seat with the car running. Will and Josie were waiting for me in the truck. Before we parted, she leaned into me and said that we weren't going to be the only ones there and that made me groan.

Great! They all get to see me drunk off my ass.

After I climbed into the truck, Will made me sit in the middle and Josie turned down the music to talk.

"All right sis, spill the beans. What's up between you and Blondie?" Will asked not holding back.

"Nothing." Mumbled.

I did not want to talk to them about my love life. No way!

"Yeah. Nothing. Right. We've seen how she was looking at you when you were on Tommy pounding the piss out of him." Will smirked.

"I'm not talking to you guys about my love life." I stated.

"Hey, sis, we're okay with you and a lady. We just want you to be happy is all," Josie admitted.

"Yeah. And, she better treat you right or we'll have to have a heart to heart with her." Will added.

I laughed at that. Them talking to Tanya on how to treat me. I would like to be there for that conversation.

"How'd, uh, mom and dad take it?" I asked.

"They're not happy. Mom's pissed that dad didn't tell her what was going on and dad's pissed that you two couldn't spend five minutes without getting into it." Josie answered.

I sighed and slumped into the seat.  
"Don't worry about it, kid. They'll get over it." Josie said.

"Yeah. After dad takes Tommy to the ER for stitches." Will added.

They both laughed.

We pulled into the parking lot of the bar and I saw that two sleek cars were parked along with Emmett's Jeep. Jamie was already there and still in the car checking it out. As we were getting out of the car, Emmett and Tanya pulled in next to us. Emmett was sporting a huge grin when he got out.

"Let the fun begin." He cheered clapping his hands and rubbing them together.

We all walked into the bar and saw that everyone was there except for Eleazar, Carmen, Carlisle and Esme. I guess they were letting the "kids" have a fun night out.

Alice skipped up to me and hugged me.

"Thanks for the warning." I muttered.

"Sorry. I didn't know that would happen until just before it did." She answered.

She pulled me back and looked at my face. I can see her eyes darkening as we stood there.

"Don't worry about." I said.

She only glared at me.

"I'm absolutely furious right now, Abby." She hissed.

"At what, that you didn't get a hit in or that you missed out on the action?" I asked.

"Both." She admitted before smiling.

"Leave her alone Darlin' and let's enjoy the rest of the night." Jasper said walking up to us.

I gave him a grateful smile and he nodded back. He took a brief look at my face told me all I need to know. The left side of my face was most likely swollen and bruised. After they walked away, Rosalie and Edward were there to check me out.

I was told once that they both had medical degrees and could practice if they chose. Rosalie was looking at my face while Edward took my hand and examined it. Both of their eyes had lost their gold tones.

I flinched when Rosalie touched my face.  
"Was that because I touched you or because it hurts?" she asked.  
"It hurts." I replied.

She looked at me with her brows raised.

"Hitting him felt…cathartic." I answered her unspoken question.

She smiled at me and continued probing my cheek.

I groaned when Edward tried to bend my fingers and hissed when he checked my hand.  
"It looks like you broke three fingers and two bones in your hand." He stated.

Huh. I didn't really feel the pain until he started looking at them.

"It's the adrenaline. We should have Carlisle look to make sure, but I'm fairly positive their broken."

"Looks like she might have a small fracture next to her eye too." Rosalie replied.  
"We should take you to Carlisle now and have him do a better exam." Edward stated.

"Yeah. Are you going to tell them that?" I asked nodding my head to rest of the group.

They both turned as saw several glares sent our way.

"Perhaps it can wait till tomorrow." Edward recanted.

"I think that would be a wise choice." I said.

"Fine, but I think you may have a concussion too." Rosalie agreed.

"Oh. Okay." I said.

She sighed and hugged me.

"We'll talk later." She whispered and led me to my birthday party, part two.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 32

Tanya's POV

I was all for Abigail to visit her family with Jamie. I was a little upset that she didn't want me to come and introduce me but I understood her reasoning. I can tell she is barely keeping her emotions under control. Any other person would have snapped by now.

Not my Abigail. She's taking it like a true leader would. She needs to see that she has the ability and strength to succeed in her destiny and the support to achieve it too.

I can also see where Alice is coming from. She feels very protective of Abigail. She is after all, her aunt. I do, however, think she is going a bit overboard with her protectiveness. Alice was the one who insisted one or two of us go with her but Abigail was adamant about spending one evening with her family without us butting in.

I did try to change her mind. It would have been an excruciating evening without her. I've noticed that I can barely think straight without her being in my sight, much less by my side. I don't know how the others manage it, being separated from their mates for long periods of time.

When I go out to hunt, I find myself hurrying and not enjoying the hunt like I used just to get back to Abigail.

I have noticed that Abigail has started to want more contact with me and I relish the fact. When she showed me the scars, my eyes went pitch black. I was ready to find that bastard and teach him a lesson in how to treat a lady. I didn't care if her older brother beat him. If I weren't there for my love, then I would have left that minute to hunt him down. The thought of hunting him still sits at the back of my mind especially when I want to do more than kiss and cuddle and she pulls away. It breaks my undead heart that this was done to her.

Edward, Rosalie and Esme have all told me that there may be more to the story and Abigail hasn't found the courage to tell anyone. Even Jasper has told me that her emotions are a mess. She seems to want me around but something triggers her memories and she pulls away. Even in her sleep, her dreams seem to keep those memories at the forefront. They haven't been as bad as that first night when Jasper and I had to comfort her most of the night, but they do cause her to thrash around most nights.

Rosalie and Esme have been a blessing in helping me maneuver around the landmines of her mind. They see themselves in her. Esme told me that it took her several years to finally put her memories of her husband behind her and accept the love and trust Carlisle and Edward.

Rosalie was the same. Even when she found Emmett it took time to accept him and trust him and not see her ex-fiancé. She knows there's more to Abigail's story and that we need to let her know we are there for her no matter what she tells us. I just hope I don't lose my control and find and kill her brother/cousin. Whatever he is to her.

Even Kate has suggested that we go and hunt him down. She's just as protective of my mate as I am. And, I appreciate her being here for me. I wish that Irina were here too. She wanted me to be with my mate more than anything else and it saddens me that she isn't here.

When Abigail and Jamie drove off for the birthday dinner with her family, I thought I was going crazy. I almost went after her and even thought about staying out of sight of the house just so I could hear her voice. Edward was there and gave me a knowing look. I have no idea how he spent all those months away from Bella and I don't think I want to know either.

Just when I was about to leave and follow the Mercedes, Alice had a vision that caused her and Edward to stiffen. They both growled and caused everyone in the room to stop what they were doing. We waited until Alice's vision was over and an explanation. The only explanation we got was for Emmett and I to get to Abigail's aunt's house immediately.

She didn't get into specifics, only that she saw Emmett and I there eating dinner with Abigail. When I asked what happened and if my Abigail was in danger, she didn't say anything. I immediately left. Thankfully, Emmett was there with Rosalie's car. It was the fastest of the cars and would get us there faster than Abigail. Alice and Jasper left in Edward's car and I barely caught what she said when her and Jasper would create a traffic jam that would cause Abigail and Jamie to arrive later.

As we drove down to Abigail's aunt's house, thoughts swirled around my head causing me to let out a growl every so often and made Emmett give me a sideways look. When that would happen, he would try and reassure me that everything was okay. He did try to distract my thoughts by making conversation. We both weren't looking forward to eating human food.

We passed Carlisle's car just before it merged onto the interstate. I saw that Abigail looked a little more relaxed than she normally did. I was a bit upset that she didn't seem to miss me as much as I missed her. I was told that it took longer for the humans to feel the mate bond and even then, they are confused by the intense feelings they have with their vampire.

We reached the city within a couple of hours and had to wait for another hour before Abigail would show up. I have never been in Colorado and I must say that it is a beautiful place. Even the hunting we are able to do in the mountains nearby is amazing.

Alice finally texted us the address and we made our way there. When we arrived, I was a little bit surprised by the beauty of the house. I can tell a lot of work was done to it and the yard was well cared for. There were plants of a few varieties that were about to bloom and bushes and Aspen trees spread throughout. I must say it made the house seem homier. I wasn't expecting it to look like this.

Emmett pulled out a binder and waved it at me saying that Alice shoved it into his hands as he was leaving. We were told to tell her aunt that we were returning it to Abigail for class and that we were classmates of hers. At least Alice had a plan in place for us. My mind was on Abigail the whole drive down.

When Abigail's aunt answered the door, I was expecting to see some old hag hunched over, instead I saw a well-dressed lady in her mid sixties standing in front of us. She had dark brown hair, streaked with white that was pulled back into a bun. She had an apron on that was stained with the sauce she was cooking.

As much as I wanted to interrogate this woman for treating my mate badly, I had to keep up the façade of a classmate. We both introduced ourselves and explained why we were there. Thankfully, she bought the lie and was more than happy to invite us in. She said that Abigail should be arriving anytime for dinner.

Abigail's aunt spent the time telling us some interesting stories about her growing up. I don't think she would be too happy with Emmett knowing these stories. It would give him ammo to tease her. I'm not sure how she will take it either. She seems really reserved about her history.

It was when Eliza was showing us a picture album when I heard Abigail and Jamie talking that I knew they were close by. I stiffened slightly, which Emmett caught and tapped my knee with his. I breathed a sigh of relief when the car stopped and two doors opened and closed.

When they walked into the house, both of their heart rates picked up. I saw Jamie look between the Emmett and I and then Abigail. He knew something changed for us being here and didn't question it. Smart boy!

Abigail, on the other hand, was upset. Her jaw clenched and hands fisted. When she hugged her aunt, she stiffened and then relaxed. She must do that to everyone, although, she has loosened up with me over the weeks.

Emmett chuckled when Eliza went to see what Jamie was up to. I'm pretty sure he was staying out of the line of fire that was unfolding. Emmett held up the album and pointed to a picture of her as a child and commented about her costume. He was trying to diffuse the tension she was feeling right then.

I walked up to her as fast as humanly possible and cupped her face. I explained as fast as I could what Alice saw and the reason we came. She nodded and slumped, somehow defeated. I didn't want that. I pressed my forehead to hers and waited for her to say something and when she reminded us about eating human food, Emmett and I explained that we could, just that we couldn't keep it in us for too long.

She joked about Alice being a coward for refusing to eat food and we agreed, that's when she received a text saying that Alice wasn't a coward. She didn't believe it. At least, she was in a better mood.

Eating human food has to be the worst punishment for any vampire. The smells are repulsive and the taste is even worse. I can see her and Jamie shooting Emmett and I look as we choke the stuff down and their smirks when they see us frown. Actually, Emmett is inhaling his food. I kicked him and quietly told him to slow down. I don't blame him though; I would be doing the same thing if Abigail weren't next to me.

I can tell that Abigail is trying to keep up a calm demeanor around her aunt. I can't imagine what her thoughts are when she comes here. Her aunt seems like a nice woman, although, I wonder why she never stepped in to stop what was happening to my mate. I noticed her knee bouncing, indicating that she's getting anxious and I pressed my leg next to hers immediately settling her down. I can see her take a deep breath and relax. I need to see how much I can get away with her. It seems she's letting me get closer without reacting. I hope it's the mate bond working for her. I really need to get my mind off of what I want to do to her and how to keep her calm being here.

When her brothers arrived, I was impressed by their size and personalities. Abigail did mentioned once that they were in the military and by their physiques they were well suited for it.

I could tell from the onset that they really cared for Abigail and loved her like a sister. Their affection and teasing nature towards her had me smiling inside. She was right; they did look out for her. And, it showed when they sat down and regaled us with stories about her growing up and how she got her nickname.

It was so cute seeing her blush by the attention she was receiving. But, that all changed when her uncle arrived with another brother. Everyone at the table stiffened and I can hear Abigail's heart rate accelerate. This must be the abuser. What I would give to spend a couple minutes alone with him.

The beast wants to show him a lesson and protect my mate at any cost. I don't want him anywhere near her and I am tempted to do something drastic to achieve that. And, when he acknowledges Emmett and I, I am more than happy to get his attention off of my mate.

It does allow Abigail to look at me when I purr my name to him. She is most likely wondering what I am doing. But, when he runs his hand down Abigail's arm, it is Emmett and I that are surprised when she attacks him. Even though, our phones beeped with text messages, we are too shocked to see Abigail beating Thomas to see whom the person was that texted.

I not sure what would have happened if she hadn't done that herself because I could tell Emmett was trying to keep himself from going after the boy. Even, I was contemplating what I wanted to do.

We immediately hold our breath when we smell blood and I see that my fork is sticking out of Thomas' shoulder and he's howling. It doesn't detour Abigail and she continues her assault. I even hear a couple of bones break and know that her hand is broken but that doesn't stop her and I'm pretty sure the adrenaline isn't helping either. I am about to grab her and try to calm her down but Josiah is there lifting her up.

When he takes her out back I want to stay there and finish the job she started, however, Jamie and Emmett are holding me back. My attention is solely on the boy on the floor and it takes Jamie slapping me a couple times to get my attention. Emmett has my arms pinned to my side while Jamie is talking but I'm so focused on protecting my mate from this filth that it takes him several tries telling me that Abigail needs me that I come back to my senses.

Abigail's aunt, uncle and William are back in the room to see what the noise is about. I see that William is smiling at what his brother looks like. The uncle is furious that his kids can't get along without one of them being there. Apparently, the man has no comprehension what his son did to my Abigail and that infuriates me more.

After Jamie explains to Eliza that we are okay and that the incident took us by surprise, we leave the room and go out back to get some fresh air. It takes both men to get me to move and only then do I go when Jamie tells me that I need to check on Abigail. I have to admit; he does know how to get people motivated.

Out back, Josiah is calming down Abigail and I think my dead heart breaks when she starts crying. I must wait for her brothers to console her before I can take her and embrace her in my arms.

Jamie is texting Alice, I assume, and tells her what happened. Like she didn't see that coming. It is only when William suggests taking Abigail out to drink that the tension breaks. Emmett is all for seeing Abigail get drunk. I have seen her that way once already and not sure I want anyone else to see it. I want to spend some time alone with her.

When I walk up to her and hug her I see what that bastard has done to her face. I don't think she is aware at how many times she was hit. I'm seething inside when the swelling gets bigger and it's only her warm body keeping me here.

I have to admit, seeing her like that in the dining room, was a turn on. Whatever issues she had about touching vanish when she's on Thomas pounding his face into the floor. I just hope that it helps her in dealing with her own inhibitions.

As we are walking to the front and head over to the bar, I take this opportunity to get her alone and kiss her. I pour all my love into it and am rewarded when she starts kissing me back. When she starts to pull away I grab her waist and pull her to me. She doesn't wrap her arms around me but just having her respond back is more than I hoped for.

When I tell her what I want to do to her, I almost follow through when she tells me that she'll let me. The urge to lift her over my shoulder and run is almost unbearable to handle. I give her a quick peck and know what I want to do for her birthday. I have been thinking about the perfect gift and now that she is getting more comfortable with me I can begin to plan what our night will be.

But, first I have to get through the rest of this night.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 33

In the years to come and I look back on what happened last night, it will probably be the same thing I remembered today. I remember going to my parent's house and having dinner with Tanya, Emmett, Jamie and my aunt. I remember when Josie and Will showed up and teased me. I remember when my uncle showed up with Thomas and beating the crap out of him.

I do remember my brothers taking me to the bar and drinking my first two drinks and shots. After that, it's a blur.

Somehow, my brothers even got Jamie to drink, which is a feat in itself. His father was an alcoholic and he's afraid he'll end up like him. I don't think that'll happen. He's too organized and controlled to end up like that.

Of course, they had to regale all my most embarrassing moments to the group that made my face heat up. My ears were even hot from the blushing I did.

I have no idea what time we left the bar or how I managed to get inside the house or out of my clothes and into my pajamas, but I'm pretty sure Tanya and the others helped us humans get home in one piece.

Waking up is a chore in itself. I fought against it with all my might. The first indication that it was going to be a rough day was the throbbing above my left eye. Apparently, Tanya knew I was awake and started touching my face with her finger. At first, I wasn't sure it was her that was touching me as soft and light as she was doing it.

"Wake up, Love." She whispered.

Her breath hitting my face made it impossible to not inhale.

"Five more minutes." I mumbled.

I wasn't in the mood to do anything or go anywhere.

"Your brothers want to take you for breakfast and we have to be there in about thirty minutes."

"Why do they want to take me to breakfast?"

"To see how you handled the day after." She replied with amusement.

I opened one bleary eye and looked at her. It doesn't feel like I have a hangover, but I've never had one before to tell. My body hurt and my head was throbbing and whether or not that was from the drinking or being hit, I have no idea. Furthermore, my hand hurts like a mother…

"How bad was I last night?" Afraid of what her answer was.

A huge smile overtook her and I instantly paled.

"Don't worry, Love, you weren't that bad. Although, I'm sure Jamie is wishing he skipped his morning volunteer job." She answered.

"So, I didn't do anything too embarrassing?"

"No. Much to Emmett and Jasper's disappointment and Rosalie was worried you would permanently damage her car from vomiting in it."

"Really? How would that damage the car?"

"The smell will stay in there for a long time and we have really sensitive senses. It would be ten times worse for us to smell…the after effects of a person being sick." She answered.

"Huh. I didn't know that." I lay there thinking about the new revelation.

"Do me a favor." I stated after several minutes.

"What is that, Love?"

"Don't ever let me drink that much again."

I see her chuckling and can't help but smile. Her laughter is like a balm to my soul. I would do anything to hear it.

I go to stretch and get all the kinks out and realize that Tanya is closer to me than I thought. I feel her legs against mine and when I arch my back I feel her in all the right places. Feeling a little uncomfortable, I turn on my back and finish my stretching.

I hold up my hand and see that a partial cast has been placed on and wrapped in ace bandages. It goes up to almost my elbow. I furrowed my brows and look at Tanya.

"Carlisle was waiting for you when we got you home." She explained.

"Oh. How'd he take the news?"

"He's not happy you took five hits to the head and broke your hand, or you lost your composure like that but understands why you did what you did."

"Oh. I was hit five times?" I asked surprised.

I wasn't aware of that. I only thought Thomas hit me once.

"Yes. You were pretty distracted in your task to notice. I believe it even enraged you more."

"Sorry." I said feeling a bit embarrassed.

Tanya pulled my chin towards her.

"Don't apologize, Abigail. You were entitled to your outburst. I'm not upset or angry."

"I should have kept my cool." I admitted.

"Hey. Don't do that." Tanya said.

I sat up and wished I hadn't. The room spun a few times causing me to swallow the bile that wants to come up. Is that an indication of a hangover?

Once that settled down, I made my way to the bathroom. Every muscle was in protest and I just hope a shower would help. Of course, Tanya wanted to join me and it almost worked, but my insecurities came raging back.

I almost changed my mind when I looked under the door and saw her shadow. I can imagine that she was having her own inner struggles about throwing caution to the wind and ignoring my request.

I almost took the cast off in the shower and just wait for Carlisle to come and see how bad I damaged my hand. From the constant throbbing, I'm pretty sure it's broken in several places. I guess I need to learn how to punch without the broken bones.

Once I got out of the shower, I realized that I didn't bring any clothes with me. From the shadow under the door, Tanya hasn't moved from her spot. Instead of facing her, I wrap the towel around me and brush my teeth.

Yes, I'm stalling for time because I know what will happen if I walk out there with just a towel. We most likely will not make it out the door and for some reason that scares me. My insecurities about being touched are coming back full force and I have no idea why. Well, I probably do and it has something to do with my brother getting out of prison. I shake my head to get that line of thinking out.

Before I can spit the toothpaste out of my mouth the door slams open and Tanya is standing there with a look of pure lust. I jump at the sound of the door hitting the wall and spit out the mouthful of water before turning towards her.

Apparently, her patience doesn't last long.

Before I can say anything, she has me pinned against the sink and attacks my mouth. The kiss reminds me of the one the night before as we left my aunt's house. It held the same passion as the other.

Just as she was about to pull away, her teeth nipped my lip and a drop of blood formed. I was worried that it would cause Tanya to lose herself but that thought disappeared.

Instead, her taste exploded in my mouth. I was seeing fireworks. Every neuron went into overdrive. I have no idea what happened but whatever it was I didn't want it to end.

Apparently, Tanya didn't either. She pressed herself against me and deepened the kiss. She was pressing into me to the point where I was bending backwards over the sink and didn't let up. Only when I tapped her shoulder did she pull away.

However, she wasn't done. She turned me around and pressed my back up against the wall and sealed her lips to mine again. This time, she didn't let up. Her hips started rubbing against mine and the friction caused my eyes to roll back. The sensations that were overtaking my body were like none I have ever felt before.

At one point, Tanya took my hand that was pressed against the wall, and brought it to her waist. She squeezed it to make sure I left it there. I obliged whole-heartedly. She placed her hands on either side of my head and continued her ministrations.

I could have done this all day but her phone kept going off and caused us to break apart, making me pant for dear life.

She pulled the phone from her back pocket and answered, more like growled into it.

"What?"

Whoever it was on the other side said something that Tanya didn't like because she leaned her head on my shoulder. After she hung up and put the phone back into her pocket, she groaned and traced her finger across the top of the towel causing goose bumps to form.

"Your brothers are at the restaurant and are waiting for us to join them."

"Okay. Who called?" I asked.

"Alice. Her and Jasper are there distracting them. She saw us get carried away and called to warn that they might come over if we didn't hurry."

"Figures. Their patience is about as long as yours." I replied.

She only chuckled. She raised her head and I saw that her eyes were almost pitch black. She took my hand and proceeded out of the bathroom. I looked around and saw two hand sized indentions in the wall and cracks spreading out from them. Not to mention, the hole caused from the door handle when Tanya banged her way in.

"I'll have Emmett fix that later." She explained.

"Have you ever?" I asked.

"No. I have never lost control like that before." She replied.

"Do you know what happened?"

"I think your blood and my venom mixed together which caused us to lose control." She explained.

"Oh. So, you felt it too?"

"The intense taste it caused? Yes."

"Okay then." I said.

I'm not sure what that meant but I liked it.

I went to my dresser and pulled out underwear and then opened the closet to grab a tee shirt and jeans. I stopped immediately when I saw that none of my clothes were in there.

"What the Hell?" I muttered.

I turned around to Tanya's laughter. She was sitting on the already made bed.

"Alice did it. Hope you don't mind but she does have a thing for shopping." Tanya chuckled.

"A thing. More like an addiction." I retorted.

I go to get dressed and stop when Tanya doesn't move from her spot on the bed. I stare at her waiting for her to leave but she doesn't move…at all.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Uh. I need to get dressed."

"Go ahead then." She smirked.

I huffed and turned away from her and put my panties on under the towel. I did the same with the jeans. I took the towel off and tried to put the bra on but was having a hard time trying to clasp it together with the cast and all.

After my third failed attempt, I feel a pair of cool hands clasp it for me.

"You only had to ask, Abby." She whispered in my ear making me shiver.

"You called my Abby." I said surprised.

"Do you prefer Abigail?" she asked.

"I don't know. You've been calling me that since we met."

I didn't say anything but did like how she pronounced my name. She kept her hands on my back and started tracing my scars again. We both got a beep on our phones and I'm pretty sure it was Alice telling us to hurry up.

Tanya ran her hands down my back and made me arch from the feeling it gave me. Man! This bond is really starting to mess with me. Part of me wants to go all in with this mating thing while the other part says to back off and take it slow.

My heart says its ready for this relationship, but my head is telling me its not. Thomas did a great job when he said those things. I think about them all the time now and if it will hold true with Tanya or if I'm just making a mountain out of a mole hill.

My first thought is to take some time off and think about where this relationship is going and then immediately shoot it down. My breath hitches when I do think that and an ache appears in my chest. There's no way I could do that and I know for a fact that I can't do it. I have no idea why but something says it's impossible to do now. We're too close for that to happen.

"What is it Abigail?" Tanya asked concerned.

"Nothing." I replied.

"Don't do that Abigail. Tell me what's bothering you." She said.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking and decided not to do what I thought." I replied.

"You need to trust me, Abigail. I know it's hard for you to do that, but just trust me." She begged.

"I'm trying." I whispered.

With that, I put the tee shirt on and went to sit on the bed for my socks and shoes.

Five minutes later, we arrived at IHOP and saw my two brothers with Alice and Jasper talking up a storm. Apparently, I don't have to worry about them getting along.

"About damn time you showed up." Will announced.

I rolled my eyes at him and sit down next to Alice. She took one look at my face and I could see the clouds forming behind her eyes. I'm pretty sure her and everyone else that's a vampire wants to go finish the job I started with Thomas.

"Dad wants to see you afterwards and check on how your feeling." She said.

Meaning, Carlisle is worried about me.

I sigh and nod. I should be happy that someone is concerned about me and wants to see about my well being but I find it hard and a bit uncomfortable. I'm not used to it. That calm and relaxed feeling hits me and I welcome it.

"So, how are ya feeling Sis?" Josie asked with a smile on his face.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I don't have a hangover. I feel like crap from Thomas getting a few hits in and my hand hurts like hell, but I'm okay." I smiled back.

"I told you we should have given her the Long Island Ice Tea." Will said smacking Josie's arm.

"I thought that would have over done it." Josie retorted.

"Do you know how Thomas is doing?" I asked trying to the two to stop arguing over something as frivolous as my drinking habits.

"He has a concussion and needed stitches in his shoulder from where you forked him." Will answered.

"That's all?" I asked.

Crap! I thought I did more damage than that.

"Yep. That and an ego check." Will said.

"Well, his face is lit up like a Christmas tree…kinda like yours, but much worse." Josie countered.

I frowned.

We talked through our breakfast and I listened as the boys' discussion turned to military tactics, which I tuned out. Tanya wasn't much for talking and I was a little concerned that I may have been the reason for it.

Once we were done eating Josie and Will became very quiet and I noticed that they had a look of sadness and determination and was immediately put on alert. When they became like this, the news wasn't good.

Sensing the mood change, Jasper tried his best to calm everyone down and it worked to a point.

Josie pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and slide it towards me. I picked it up and read it. My face lost all color and I felt numb.

"I was told to write that down and give it to you at the right time." Josie whispered.

I looked up and saw both men stare at me waiting for my reaction. Will had his chin propped on his hand and his elbow on the table. He was chewing the inside of his mouth indicating that he didn't like what was about to happen.

Josie had his hands folded and sat up straighter. That was his way of dealing with the situation.

And, I did what I always did when I was faced with a hard situation. I ran only I waited till I was out of the restaurant to do that. I could hear everyone calling me back, but I couldn't deal with it again.

The note, in Josiah's handwriting, said, "The next journal will be found on a German man on July 1, 1916 during the Battle of the Somme." It was the worst battle in World War I.

How did Josiah know what I had to do?


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 34

I walked out of the restaurant, across the parking lot and then across the highway. I kept going, across the train tracks and down and up over the drainage ditch. I remember walking down there when I was a kid and daring the water to come down and swallow me up. It never did.

I can feel someone behind me and know it's not Tanya. I was too upset to wonder where she is. I walked another mile and turned onto a street I haven't been on in two years. I wasn't aware of where I was until I was standing in front of my old house.

Alice reached around me and unlocked the door. How she got it, I have no idea. She then, pushed me inside and closed the door. I stood in the hallway, wondering what I was doing here. Alice guided my down the hall and into the living room.

I looked around and my eyes zeroed in on a recliner. I thought of Cody and how he loved that chair. I turned around and wanted to leave but Alice grabbed my elbow and led me to the couch and made me sit. She sat on the coffee table across from me.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

I didn't say anything but looked at her.

"I don't think he knows much, Abby. I think he was told to write that down and give it to you. He was waiting for you to say something about it." Alice said.

"I feel like I'm drowning. Every time I feel like I get over one thing, something else comes along and pulls me back under." I admitted.

"Everyone is here for you, Abby. We won't let you drown. You need to believe me."

"I've been alone for so long, it's hard. I even kept Cody at arms length." I admitted.

I looked over at the empty chair. I feel guilty that I did that to him. He knew, of course, but didn't say anything. He knew what had happened to me.

"I understand that, Abby, but you once had me to talk to. That hasn't changed…much." She said with a sad smile.

I couldn't help be give one of my own.

"Whose house is this, by the way?" she asked.

"Mine and Cody's. I asked Josie to sell it. Apparently, he didn't listen." I answered.

"Mind if I look around?"

I shook my head. After she walked away, I pulled out my phone and tried calling Tanya. I had to apologize for leaving her. When she didn't answer I texted her and still no answer. I waited a few more minutes and repeated the process and got the same results. I tried not to panic but thoughts of her leaving me swirled around my head.

"She had to hunt Abby. Calm down." Alice yelled from the second floor.

It did little to ease me.

After fifteen minutes passed, Alice reappeared with a picture frame in hand. She has a sad look about her. She resumes her seat in front of me and shows me the picture. I'm rocking back and forth, trying to keep it together, waiting for Tanya to return my calls and/or texts.

"He was four." I whispered. "Cody was taking him to the movies when the car hit them. I was at the school doing research for my paper when it happened."

"Oh, Abby." Alice whispered clearly upset.

"His name was Josiah John. Of course, Josie was strutting his stuff because he had a nephew named after him. We called him JJ for short."

I remember that night so clearly it feels like it happened yesterday. I remember coming home and finally answering my cell phone and a nurse at the hospital telling me to come immediately, that an accident had occurred. She wouldn't give my any answers or details when I asked.

Once I got there, I was escorted to the trauma bay where both JJ and Cody were laying. JJ died on impact and Cody on the way to the hospital.

I cradled JJ in my arms one last time and kissed Cody's forehead.

It was then that I believed everything Thomas had told me growing up. I put a lock on my heart and turned away everyone that came near me. I took Thomas' words to heart and never let anyone close to me again. I was afraid that if I let them in then something bad would happen to them or me.

That all changed when Alice came back into my life. Her and Tanya and the rest are finding holes in my heart and making themselves at home. The thought of them leaving are at the forefront of my mind. I can't help but wonder what would happen to them for knowing me.

I tell this all to Alice and wait for her to respond. She takes her time. Meanwhile, I try Tanya again. Nothing.

"Abby."

I ignore her and continue my text to Tanya. Why isn't she responding?

"Abby."

I finally look up.

"She's coming back." She said adamantly.

"How do you know that?" I asked in a near panic. "One minute, I can't wait for her to touch and kiss me. The next, I can't stand it. I wouldn't blame her for leaving if she did. I'm a mess." I said.

"Abby, calm down." Alice said and continued, "Tanya is not nor cannot leave you. The bond is getting stronger everyday. No vampire can leave their mate once they found them. I've seen it happen once and that lasted six months."

"Edward and Bella?" I asked. I remember Bella telling me about it. But, she didn't go into too much detail telling me.

"Yes. It nearly killed them both too."

"You can't be too sure." I countered. Alice growled in frustration.

"I can tell by the way your acting. You're in a near panic attack now with her only being gone for a couple of hours. And, I'm pretty sure she's acting the same way." Alice responded.

It would take me seeing Tanya to believe anything Alice is telling me.

We sat there talking for the next couple of hours. I was telling her how Cody and I met. As I said before, it took him a while to worm himself into my heart. He tried everything he could to get me to go out with him.

Once, he used a bullhorn in the cafeteria and announced to everyone there that he was trying to get me to go out on one date with him. I was so embarrassed, that I literally crawled under the table. I relented when he kept up his plea to go out with me, just to get him to stop what he was doing. The smile he gave me afterwards was priceless.

And, the time when he found out I was pregnant. He was overjoyed by the news. By this time, we were both in grad school and he immediately made plans for the baby to attend a top rated college. I laughed at him and asked if he or she didn't want to go to school. He ignored me and kept on with his plans.

We arrived back at Jamie's house a few hours later. It was already dark and I still haven't heard back from Tanya. Not to mention, I was hurting everywhere.

Everyone was at the house except Tanya and Kate and Garrett. I'm assuming, or hoping, they went after Tanya. Josie and Will are there too. Will is playing a video game with Emmett and seems to be really into it. I ignore everyone and walked down the hall.

"We need to talk, Abby." Josie addressed me in an authoritative tone.

"Later." I snapped back.

Once in my room, I toed off my shoes and crawled into bed. I curl up into a ball and hold my phone to me. When I was younger, I used to hold Teddy to me for comfort. Now, it's my phone and I prayed that I would get a phone call from someone.

A few minutes later, the door opens and closes and I hear someone trip over my shoes. It was Josie.

"Ow. Son of a bitch! I can't believe you still do this, Abby." He hissed.

"What do you want?" I muttered angrily back.

"I said we need to talk and we are. I could care less if you're not in the mood." He demanded. He was pretty upset or mad or both.

"Why didn't you sell the house yet?" I snapped.

"Because you haven't moved anything out of it yet." He retorted.

"Like I want to keep anything that reminds me of them." I replied.

"Not now, but you will."

He kicked off his own shoes and crawled onto the bed behind me. He is so heavy that that mattress caused me to turn a little towards him. I grumbled a little and moved away from him. The movement brought me close enough to the pillow that Tanya lays on and it still has her scent on it. I inhale a few times and felt my heart ache a little knowing that she isn't near me.

"I'm going to tell you what happened and why I wrote that note." He said.

I wanted to ignore him and concentrate on Tanya and where she is but what he said intrigued me, so I turned my head slightly to hear him better.

"When your mom brought you over, you had that ridiculous bear clung to you. You were told that you were staying the week because your mom had somewhere to go. It was to ease you into staying with us."  
He moved closer to me and spooned me and started rubbing my arm. He used to do that when I had nightmares and it calmed me down. It's not working now. Not to mention, I have not heard this story before and it's getting to me.

"I was home on leave and about to go have a drink with some friends when you and her arrived. Dad made me take her to the airport. I have no idea where she was going.

In the car, she told me that I needed to be there for you at all costs. I agreed, not

really listening to her. No one in the family really liked her and I think mom and dad were afraid of her. I paid her no attention really.

But, then she said something that caught my attention. She said that there will

come a time when you will be surrounded by people that don't look like anyone I have seen before and when that happens I need to give you that note. She made me repeat myself ten times before she was satisfied that I remembered.

She, also, made me promise to look after you and that people will try to hurt you.

I didn't know it would be my own brother.

I came home that night with a really good buzz when I heard the hanger hitting

something. I didn't know what it was and went to find out.

When I saw Thomas leaning over you and you on the floor lying flat on your stomach I didn't understand what was happening until Thomas brought his arm up again. When I heard that whack on your back and saw the other marks, I lost it.

After beating him senseless I took you to the emergency room. After filling out the police report and telling them that it was my brother that abused you and no one else, they went and arrested him for child abuse and child endangerment. Mom and dad weren't too happy that I did it but I couldn't lie, nor did I want to.

I broke my promise to your mother and I failed both you and her. I am truly and deeply sorry for what you went through Abby and I hope that you will forgive me."

When he was finished I laid there thinking about what had happened. He did feel responsible for me and that he failed in protecting me.

"Are you still awake?" he mumbled. His face was in my hair.

"Yeah. Just thinking." I replied. "Is that why you would sleep outside my room when Thomas came back?" I asked.

"Yeah. I wanted to make sure he wouldn't take his revenge out on you. He did try a few times but gave up when he saw me or Will there."

"You enlisted the help of Will?" I asked surprised.

"Yes. He saw your back and demanded what happened. I thought he was going to kill Thomas when I told him."

Wow! I had no idea they did that. My respect for them raised a few more notches. And, I couldn't help the knot in my throat forming or the tears threatening to fall either.

"Do you forgive me, Abby?" he pleaded.

"Of course, I don't blame you or Will. You both had your own lives to deal with." I replied.

"Thank you. You have no idea how much that bothered me."

We laid there for a few more minutes lost in our own thoughts.

"Are you going to tell me what that note means and why you took off like that?" he asked.

"Can I tell you tomorrow? It's a long, long story. One, you may not believe either." I stated. I doubt he would believe it. I'm having a hard time believing it myself.

"Kay." He replied.

We eventually fell asleep and my nightmares were in full swing that night. Most of them starred my mom standing just out of my reach. The others starred Thomas and he was pissed that I did a little damage to him. He vowed his revenge and when he came towards me I would cry out or whimper causing Josie to wake me up.

It was those times that I would reach across the bed feeling for Tanya and not feeling her presence. That would cause my nightmares to focus on her and ways she would leave me.

Some time during the night, someone, Alice or Esme, I couldn't tell whom, came in and woke Josie. He got up from the bed, causing me again to turn towards him, and left.

It was sometime in the early morning that I felt the bed and my hand found a hard body there. I patted the person until I reached her face. Cupping her check I knew it was Tanya. I could feel my muscles relaxing knowing that she was near me once more.

I opened one eye to look at her but only saw a silhouette there. I inhaled several times to make sure it was her and was rewarded by her strong scent. There was also the smell of forest there too, but it only heightened her smell more.

"Don't be angry with me, Abigail." She whispered.

I ignored that and turned over away from her. I was still upset that she didn't return my calls or texts. I couldn't blame her too much considering I left her first. I feel bad about that and wished I didn't leave like I did.

Drifting off to sleep again, I felt her scoot up to me and spooned me, her hand wrapping around my waist. I wanted to pull away but she squeezed me tight, indicating that she wouldn't allow it. Giving up I fell back to sleep.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 35

There were several times throughout the morning hours I'd tried turning over or moving away from Tanya but she kept her iron grip on my waist. I wasn't sure if it was because she was mad or upset with me or sad that she didn't respond to any of my texts or calls. Whatever the reason was, she never let go.

When I finally woke for good, my hand was aching pretty good. I bet Carlisle is gonna make sure he sees me today, whether I liked it or not. Tanya was softly stroking my stomach making me clench. Good thing I'm not ticklish there.

I tried moving for the millionth time and Tanya still wouldn't let me move. I must say that it kinda felt good but then again, my left side was starting to feel numb from being in this position for most of the night. To make matters worse, Tanya entwined her legs with mine.

"Tanya, what's wrong?" I asked, still groggy from sleep.

"Nothing. I just don't want to let you go right now." She replied.

I lay there for a few minutes wondering what is wrong with her. Then, it hit me. She must have read the note or upset that I left her again.

"Sorry about leaving you again." I whispered.

Will I not be able to stand my ground and confront things head on? I doubt it.

"Don't. I would have done the same thing." She replied.

"I just reacted without thinking."

"I know. I'm not mad at you Abigail."

We lay there for a few more minutes thinking.

"I would like to apologize too." She said.

"For what" I asked.

"For not returning your calls. I was a bit upset myself." She admitted.

"You saw the note?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Okay. So, I have to go back and get the journal, if it's true, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme."

"You do realize that it was the worst day of the battle and that over 57,000 men died that day?"

"Really?" I asked a bit surprised.

I wasn't big on my World War I history and only know that it was one hell of a war.

"Yes. I know you have to go retrieve the journal, so I'm gonna be acting weird until you retrieve it and get back, hopefully in one piece." She said.

"Okay. I understand that, but the only time people see me is when someone, like you or Alice, sees me. You weren't there that day, were you?" I asked.

"No. None of my coven was there. We were preparing to move to America before the Russian Revolution began. We came over on Titanic to look for property to buy when it sank."

"Really?" I asked. I haven't heard her talk about her past and could beat myself for not asking anything about herself. It was all about my issues and me.

"Yes."

"Tell me more." I insisted.

"What would you like to know?"

"I don't care. Anything. What was your favorite time period?" I asked.

"The Renaissance. I loved talking with Michelangelo. He was a very intelligent and generous man." Tanya replied.

"You knew Michelangelo?" I asked surprised.

"Yes. I kept him company when he painted the Sistine Chapel." She replied casually.

I turned toward her with my brows raised. For once, she let me move. She propped herself up on one elbow, keeping the other hand on my stomach.

"You saw him paint the Sistine Chapel?" I was still surprised by her nonchalant attitude.

"Yes."

"What else?" I asked with excitement.

"I saw Louis XIV get his head chopped off. The French Revolution was a horrible war. Especially the Reign of Terror."

"Whoa."

I'm having a hard time believing that the person next to me had witnessed so much history first hand. My head is spinning with all the questions I want to ask her or Kate or Carlisle or any one of the vampires. The stuff they could tell me makes me want to shout with glee.

On the flip side though, everything I learned so far is now a waste of time. I wonder how much of the stuff I read or researched is wrong. What didn't we get right after all this time, I wonder? Would I be able to correct the stuff that everyone got wrong? If so, how would I be able to prove it without evidence, other than those who witnessed it first hand? I don't think that would go over too much if I said that I heard someone talk about it who was there.

I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't hear what Tanya was talking about. It wasn't until her hand moved up to my ribs that I was abruptly brought back to the present.

"What?" I asked.

"I said, do you have any idea what you're going to tell your brother about us?" she asked.

"I have no idea." I answered.

And I don't. What can I tell him that won't get me committed?

"Have any ideas?" I asked.

"Alice thinks that you don't have to go into too much detail about what the journal means. Possibly telling him that it's part of a project for your class might work."

"Yeah. That's not gonna work. He'll figure out it's a lie in a heartbeat and beat me into a greasy spot for lying to him." I replied.

"Well, you better come up with an idea fast because he's ready to come back here and wake us up regardless of what we're doing." She said with a bit of amusement.

"We're talking. We're not doing anything." I replied.

"Yet." Tanya stated, then, next thing I know she's on top of me straddling me.

I tried not to stiffen but she caught it when I did.

"Alice told me about yesterday and I'm very sorry for your lose Abigail." She said as she lowered her head to my neck inhaling my scent.

"Thank you." I said not really knowing what to say in this situation.

"She also told me about what happened after and I understand what you're going through. However, I have told you before, I cannot leave you, nor do I want to. I have spent the last century trying not to lose my mind waiting for you. Now that you're here, I'm not letting you out of my sight for very long." She admitted.

"Okay." I said, "what about class and work?"

"I'll be there." She answered.

I raised my brow.

"You're going to sit there in class for two and a half hours listening to us discuss a book that is probably wrong anyways?" I asked.

"Yes. And, I'll wait till after the class to tell you what the book got wrong too if that's what it takes."

I laughed at her.

"Don't laugh at me. From what I hear, you were no better off yesterday, Love."

"True."

She took that moment to start placing kisses all up and down my neck and shoulder. That was after she tore my shirt at the neck and traced her tongue along my collarbone. My breath hitched at what she was doing to me.

"I can smell your arousal Abigail and it's intoxicating." Tanya whispered in my ear when she reached my neck again. That caused her to inhale several times to make her point. Her eyes were already black and I couldn't help my blush at her words. No one has ever said that to me.

Just as Tanya was starting to get my breathing into a frenzy, someone knocked on the door making me jump in surprise. It was either that or Tanya taking a nip on my neck.

"Abby, Carlisle and Josiah are waiting for you." Alice called from the other side of the door. Of course, she knew what was going on in here making me blush again.

"Be there in a minute." I yelled after I cleared my throat.

Tanya again, made her way up my neck to my jaw and then my lips. Her kisses were getting better every time. I didn't want her to stop and for a minute she didn't. That was until Alice knocked again when she heard that we weren't moving fast enough.

Tanya finally pulled away and rolled of the bed, standing in front of me. I followed suit and sat on the edge of the bed. She was in her panties and a spaghetti strap shirt that left little to the imagination. I couldn't help as my eyes raked over her body. I have never seen her this way and I have to admit, I liked what I saw.

Her legs were toned. I mean they weren't too muscular or too lean but just right. Her hips were well proportioned. Roaming up her body, I saw that she had a flat stomach and that was probably toned too. I really couldn't tell because of the shirt but I don't think there was an ounce of fat anywhere on her.

When I reached her face I saw that she was sporting a smirk, obviously amused by my expression at seeing her like this. Every model I have seen pales in comparison to her. I want to see what the rest of her looks like. If it's like what I've seen so far, then I'm in for a treat.

"Like what you see?" She asked in a low and husky voice.

Slack jawed I could only nod.

"Then join my in the shower and you can see the rest." She purred and ran one finger along my jaw before turning towards the bathroom.

As she walked away from me, she lifted the shirt over her head and I caught a good view of her back. It was smooth and the shoulder blades jutted out. I was kind of jealous at how smooth her skin was compared to my own scar riddled back.

As she closed the door with her foot, I couldn't help but see that she was taking off her panties and caught a brief glimpse if her ass. Like everything else I've seen, it was well rounded and toned too. I blinked several times wondering if I was dreaming but Alice opened the bedroom door a little to look in.

I was still focused on the bathroom door and thought about taking her up on her offer. It was only when Alice threw a rolled up sock at my head that I diverted my attention from the bathroom door.

"They're waiting for you Abby. Sorry to ruin the moment, but your brother is about to have a hernia waiting for you."

I rolled my eyes and cursed my brother for his patience, or lack thereof. I stood and walked towards the door when Alice stopped me.

"Change your shirt." She said looking at the rip at the neck.

I took a deep breath and changed my shirt before leaving the bedroom. I fell asleep fully dressed last night. It was rare that I never was awake enough to change into pajamas.

I flicked Josie on the ear when I sat down. I wasn't in a good mood at the moment. They always wondered why I didn't have a sex life. When I do get one, they are there to ruin the moment. Never fails.

Rubbing his ear and glaring at me, I returned one of my own. Esme was there placing a plate of biscuits and gravy before me. I thanked her and dug in.

"How many plates have you had?" I asked as he was shoveling food in. It reminded me of Emmett the other night at my aunt's house.

"Three." He said around a mouthful of food.

"Four." Alice corrected from her spot across from me.

She was on my laptop doing something I couldn't see.

"Pig." I muttered under my breath. Alice and Esme gave me a small smile knowing that they heard me.

Carlisle took the seat to my left and started probing my face. I don't want to see what my face looks like now. I'm pretty sure it's black and blue and some other colors too.

When he touched me next to my eye I flinched. It was obviously tender there still.

"Sorry." He said still feeling my head.

Everywhere he touched it hurt. It also made it hard to eat and I had to take bites around his arm and hand.

"I still want to get a scan of your head to rule out fractured bones." He said.

I only rolled my eyes and shook my head. Of course, that caused everyone there to disagree with me.

"Listen to the doctor Abster. If he wants to see if there's anything in that noggin of yours let him. I don't he'll find anything in there anyways." Josie joked.

I glared at him.

"How's the hand?" Carlisle asked.

"It hurts." I replied.

"Want anything stronger for the pain?"

"You better not. She's a light weight when it comes to medication." Josie said.

It's true. Anything that says, 'may cause drowsiness' makes me pass out.

"At least, you'll stand out at graduation." Josie smirked.

"I wasn't going…" I immediately stopped when four pairs of eyes glared back at me.

I really wasn't going to go to my graduation. It's boring and the only people that were going to go to it, before the vampires showed up, were Josie, Will, Jamie and maybe my aunt, if she didn't have something coming up at the last minute.

"Why weren't you going? It's your graduation." Josie asked.

"It' kinda pointless." I replied.

"How?"

"No one was going to be there." I admitted.

"Well, there is now. It's a milestone Abby. One you shouldn't miss." Alice replied from across the table.

"Listen to the midget. She knows what she's saying." Josie said.

I see her give Josie a pointed look and couldn't help but smile.

"I'll think about it. Not making any promises though."

Once that conversation was over, there was an awkward silence. I knew what was coming next and had no way to explain it.

Before I could start, Carlisle and Esme excused themselves, claiming that Carlisle wanted to get a hold of an old colleague. Alice didn't move from her spot. I think she was there for support. Thank God!

"So. The note." Josie started.

I took a deep breath and told him.

"I was told that my mother was forced to give me up after she made a deal with the devil, if you will. She kept her side of the deal and left. Apparently, she's in trouble and I'm the only one that can find her and help her."

"What kind of deal?" Josie asked.

"I don't know the specifics. Only that she had to place me with my father's family when I turned five and that she couldn't have any kind of contact with me ever again." I replied as best as I could.

"What is she? Some kind of CIA agent or someone of importance?" he asked. I can tell he's getting agitated and upset.

"I have no idea Josie. I don't remember her that much. You tell me. Did she look like someone of importance to you?"

"No. Yes. I don't know." He replied. "So, what's with the note then?"

"It's a clue to find her. She left me three clues and once I get them, I have to piece them together to find her…I hope." I replied.

"So, the next clue is on the battlefield of the Battle of the Somme during World War I?" He asked skeptically.

"Apparently." I hedged.

"How are you supposed to get it?"

That's the million-dollar question. One I have no answer for.

I hear my bedroom door open and see Tanya walk down the hall. I still have her backside ingrained in my head and can't help but picture her like that now. I feel Alice kick me under that table and I jump. Looking at her, she mouths me to focus. Turning my attention back to Josie, I answer him.

"You see, Josie." I started but Tanya cuts me off.

"My great grandfather fought with her mother's grandfather. We believe he may have a journal explaining where she may be. It's a family hideout and only certain people know it's whereabouts." She explained.

"How would he know that?" Josie asked.

"I'm assuming he and Abigail's great grandfather had to hide there during the war. They both fought in the Battle of the Somme." She lied convincingly.

"So, you know Abby's mother?"

"I've heard stories of her. She comes from an important family in Europe."

That wasn't a complete lie.

"Europe." Josie said.

"Yes."

"And, you know where this journal is?"

"I believe so. I have seen it once when I was a child."

I wonder how long ago that was.

"And, that's why you guys are here? To help Abby find her mother?"

"Yes. Abby and Alice go back to their undergraduate days and Abby asked Alice to help her. Alice remembered that my family knew Abby's family and enlisted my help."

This is a really good story she's telling.

"Okay. Let's say I believe it. Do you know where the journal is now?" I can tell he doesn't really believe it and is going to find out what the true story is and I hope he doesn't find it.

"No at the moment, no." Tanya replied.

Alice's phone rang and she answered it.

"Carlisle's on the phone and he was able to get a hold of his friend. They said to be at the hospital within the hour for your test." Alice relayed the message.

I nodded agreeing to go. I'll do anything to end this conversation.

Josie left shortly after that but promised me that this wasn't the end of the conversation and wanted to know the results of my CT scan.

I let out a deep breath when he left and laid my head on the table.

"Where did you come up with that story?" I asked relieved.

"We think fast on our feet. I knew you didn't have a good enough story to tell him and I came up with one." Tanya replied.

"Thank you!"

"Not need to thank me, Abigail."

Once we were in the car on the way to the hospital my phone beeped. It was Jamie.

Jamie: _I need your help._

Me: _What's up?_

Jamie: _Promise you won't tell anyone?_

Me: _Of course, what's wrong?_

Jamie: _I'm falling for Nessie_

Me: …. _WTH!_

Alice turned and looked at me with the same expression.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 36

"What's going on Jamie?" I asked when we pulled into the hospital parking lot.

I spent the remainder of the drive trying to figure out if Jamie was kidding or if he fell on Nessie, or some other reason than what he said. He meant what he said.

"I don't know what happened." He replied in a panic.

"Okay. Where are you?" I asked getting a little worried.

"I'm at the school doing some research. Bella just came and picked Nessie up."

"Okay. So explain what's going on, please."

"Promise not to tell anyone?" He asked.

"Okay. It's kind of hard not to tell Alice considering she already knows something's up." I replied.

"Dang, psychic." He muttered.

She gave me a look like she heard him.

"Um. She can hear you." I told him.

"Fine. The fortune teller can know…and your girl since she's probably there listening to this as well. But, no one else, swear." He ordered.

"Alright. Fine. I swear. But, just keep in mind Edward can hear your thoughts." I reminded him.

"Damn it." He swore. "Does anyone in that family know the meaning of privacy?" he asked irritated.

"Probably not." I replied simply.

I looked at Tanya and Alice to get their reaction. They only shrugged their shoulders agreeing with me.

"So, how did this happen?" I asked. Now, I want to know what he's been up to the last few weeks.

"It started when I was up at the school over spring break." He said.

He went on and told me that Nessie asked if she could go with him. She had never seen that many college campuses and wanted to see if this one was the same as the others she's seen. It was when Bella and Alice brought me up to their house in the mountains a few weeks back. Jamie wasn't home when I woke from my trip to Titanic.

Then she went with him to his volunteer job at the hospital where he helps out in the pediatric unit with the kids. He keeps them entertained while they deal with their issues, whatever they may be. Nessie loved what he was doing. I'm assuming they got along great together during those times. I had to stop him there because we entered the hospital and I was getting ready for my head CT. I wanted him to continue and put off the test but the looks Tanya and Alice were giving me told me otherwise.

There was one thing that did get my attention and Alice's as well and that was how Jacob wasn't spending as much time with Nessie and I wondered why that was. They seemed inseparable when I first met them.

"You know Abby, you really don't need any more drama in your life right now. You have enough to deal with." Alice said.

"I know, but I can't leave him hanging. He's always been there for me and not complain about it." I admitted.

We made it to the CT scan room and had to wait a little because someone else was getting their head examined. I couldn't help but wonder what got Jacob so worked up that he hasn't been spending time with Ness or any of us.

I couldn't help but think that it has something to do with me. I know I'm being self-centered but I can't help it. Everything the last few weeks has rocked my foundation and I'm still trying to recover from all the info coming at me. Something tells me that I need to keep an eye on him and I hope my gut feelings are just messing with me. I couldn't take any more surprises at the moment, even if they are the good ones.

Tanya pulled on my hand, bringing me out of my thoughts, and indicated that it was my turn. Oh goody!

Several hours later we were back the house. I was laying on the couch letting Tanya stroke my hair. I had a small hairline fracture by my eye and my hand had two breaks in it. Carlisle wanted to put a full cast on my hand and wrist but I begged him to keep it the way it is. He made me promise not to do anything extraneous with it. I did.

He also gave me a prescription for the pain. That's why I am on the couch. I hate how the medication is making me feel. The room is spinning and I feel a little nauseous. Alice made me eat a sub sandwich to help calm the stomach. I don't know if that was the best thing to do but I obeyed her anyway. She's a force to reckon with when she wants her way.

Dozing off, I started thinking about what Jamie was telling me earlier and how he became infatuated with Nessie. I wonder what Jacob or Edward would do if they found out and thought better of it. They would probably take turns beating him. I didn't want to step in and stop it, probably because it wouldn't help much.

Once I was getting to the part of the conversation about how he and Nessie were talking during one of his breaks, I felt two cold hands grab me forcing me to wake up with a start. Alice was leaning over me with Tanya there, stopping mid stroke.

"You were about to go back somewhere and I thought it wouldn't be a good idea with how you're feeling." Alice said in earnest.

My heart was pounding from being jerked awake.

"What were you thinking, Love?" Tanya whispered going back to her stroking.

"Earlier." I replied.

"You need to stop that." Alice said.

"I know but something he said is bothering me for some reason and I can't put my finger on why." I said.

"Like what?"

I looked around and saw that no one was around. That didn't mean they could still hear me though.

"Jasper's here and Alice has already filled him in."

"So much for keeping a tight lid on it." I said.

"Well, he would have found out eventually." Tanya replied.

I shrugged agreeing with her. Jamie is not going to like it.

"It's just makes me wonder what Jake is up to if he's not with Nessie. I thought they were inseparable." I wondered.

"It does seem strange." Tanya admitted.

I lay there thinking and started dozing off again when I felt a sudden spurt of adrenaline and jerked awake again. What the hell!

"Good. Your awake." Jasper said walking in and sitting on the coffee table next to me.

"Was that you?" I asked, my heart pounding.

"Yes. Sorry, but I need to talk to you." He replied giving me a sheepish look.

"Can it wait? I doubt I will remember what you said." I replied.

"No. It's about the note Josiah gave you. I went through the journal you got from the man on Titanic and I believe the next journal is where Josiah said it would be." He announced.

Okay. I was wondering if it was there. Guess I don't have to wonder anymore.

"Okay. What makes you think it is?" I asked feeling groggy again.

"Hey, Abby. Stay with me." Jasper said tapping my knee.

"I am." I replied.

"Well, Johan, the man who wrote the journal, says something about a man's thoughts written down and the place to find them is on a battlefield. Edward and I thought it could have been the Battle of Antietam, the D-Day invasion and it was on Omaha Beach or the Battle of the Somme."

I laid there, Tanya still stroking my head and at times scratching it making me feel more relaxed than I wanted to. I stared at Jasper trying to take in what he just said.

"Are you telling me that this man, Johan, is a psychic like Alice?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. The only thing that eludes him to that is that he does talk about a war and the only ones that we can think of was the Russo-Japanese War. And, the Boer War. Those happened during his time, we're assuming." Jasper continued.

"What about Antietam?" I asked.

"At first, we thought about it but decided it wasn't. We don't think he knew about the American Civil War."

"Why is that?"

"He was a simple man. Not much by way of money and I don't think he was very well educated."

"Hmm." I answered.

"Abby. You still with us?" Jasper asked, tapping my leg again.

"Yep." I replied. These drugs are something else.

"I think Josiah is right about her and medication." I heard Alice's amused voice from far away.

"Is that what is? I'm having a hard time keeping her awake." Jasper replied.

I didn't hear anymore after that.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Two weeks later and I am sitting before my three professors taking my oral exams. To say I'm nervous is an understatement. I wish I had brought Jasper with me to keep me calm, but I doubt it help any.

Any thought about the journal and the Battle of the Somme were put on the back burner until I get passed my exams, much to my own disagreement. I wanted to just quit school and concentrate on the journals and gather as much info on the Battle as I can. Everyone, and I mean everyone, gave me their two cents worth. It wasn't a pleasant evening when I made that announcement.

Tanya was true to her word. She came with me to all my classes and sat through them with me. I was surprised that she was able to hold her tongue at some of the discussions we had. I can tell by her reactions or the way she would move in her seat that she didn't agree with something. Afterwards, she would go on a tangent about what was wrong with the book or where the discussions or arguments were heading and I would have another lesson as she told me what actually happened. I liked her lessons best.

Then, I had to try not to think about what Jamie had told me about him and Nessie. He has toned down his time with her and I can tell it's taking a toll on him. He looks around looking for someone only to not find them. I'm not sure if Edward and Bella know anything yet, or if Nessie knows his feelings towards her.

I'm fairly sure Jacob doesn't know or Jamie would be dead right now. Speaking of whom, I still haven't seen him or any of his "pack" as he calls them, around in a while. Alice said that they are taking in the sights around the state. Why didn't he take Nessie with him then?

I finally gave my notice at work and told them I got a good job that dealt with history. It wasn't too far from the truth.

So, all that's left is my orals and graduation and then I can concentrate on the journals and finding my mother.

The oral exams consisted of defending your three research papers in front of your professors, mainly the ones you had the classes with. I had Jasper and Tanya read them and give me tips on what to improve before I turned them in a week or so ago. They thought the papers were fine as they were. I still feel like I'm missing something in them but reluctantly turned them in.

The next hour was spent in a small conference room having questions thrown at me about my papers. I answered them all to the best of my ability. When they were done with their interrogation, as I wanted to call it, they said I did pretty good and gave me an A for the exam and made my overall grade a solid A for grad school. The first time that has happened and I couldn't be happier.

Even though the last month was a challenge, I'm happy that it didn't mess up my grade point average and I can honestly say I'm a grad school graduate. Well, almost. Have one more class to attend to and then I can kick back and relax, sort of.

Walking down the hall and out into the atrium I see Tanya and Alice sitting on the window seats talking. They stopped when they saw, or heard, me coming. Alice was so happy that she almost jumped into my arms hugging me.

"Congratulations, Abby!" Alice shouted with joy.

"Thanks." I replied relieved.

"Congratulations, Love!" Tanya whispered as she kissed my lips.

I only smiled back at her. Her smile kills me, or at the least, renders me speechless.

"All right, lovebirds. Let's get the celebration started." Alice announced as she grabbed my hand and led me out the door.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 37

It's graduation day and I'm rudely awakened when Alice comes in to wake me up by placing her hands on my neck. I don't think I've mentioned it before, but the vampires are cold, I mean they're cold, cold.

I was kind of used to Tanya touching me and cuddling with me but she keeps her hands on my clothes that help, a little, with the temperature. She usually waits till I'm awake and coherent to start caressing me and getting my temperature to shoot up.

Lately, we've been getting more physical. Her hands have wondered all over my body making me squirm, and not in a bad way either. And, I'm finally getting over my aversion of touching her back, much to her delight, although, the cast is kind of a downer. I can't wait to get this thing off.

After I yelled at her for waking me up I turn on my back and doze back off again. Tanya is next to me chuckling and starts her ministrations to wake me up completely. She traces one of my ribs causing me to laugh. I'm really ticklish there and I try to move her hand away but to no avail.

"Okay. I'm awake." I laughed.

"Good. Go take a shower and come out for breakfast." Tanya chuckled.

"Man. You guys really want to sit for three hours bored out of your minds, don't you?" I said.

"Yes. We do. Everyone is happy for you Abigail. You've accomplished something very few people have. You should be proud of yourself."

'I am." I replied. And, I was. I never thought I would get through it, especially after Cody and JJ died. I thought I would never step back into school again but something told me to do it and I did. Of course, I had to start over because too much time had passed, but I didn't care.

As I'm making my way to the bathroom, I hear a loud noise coming from somewhere in the house. I want to go take a look but Tanya said it was only the boys' rough housing. They could've picked a better time than six o'clock in the morning.

Shrugging my shoulders I close the door behind me and start the shower. I unwrap the cast and place it on the counter to keep it from getting wet. Carlisle said that I'm close to being done wearing this stupid thing and I can't wait to take it off permanently. The noise seems to be getting louder and more verbal. I can't make out the words, but the tone was evident. I assume that they are doing something that the other didn't like and it escalated to a more violent outburst.

Will and Josie have done that to each other and to Thomas. When one would accidentally punch the other without a block, they would get angry and the "playing" would turn to actual fighting. My aunt would have to come and break it up.

Imagine a five foot five inch woman, with her arms apart, breaking up two boys almost twice her size, as they try to tear the other's head off. It's quite comical to watch. The funny thing is, is that they would listen to her. My aunt can be a force to reckon with when she wants the kids to settle down. That kind of makes me think of Alice at times. I think it runs in the family.

I'm standing under the spray getting my hair wet when the house shakes and I'm tempted to get out and go tell the boys off. If they're this bad, I can't imagine what the house must look like. Jamie did want to do some remodeling. I guess this would be his chance if it were a mess.

Just as I finished that thought, the shower curtain opens and in steps Tanya, completely naked. I stare wide-eyed at her.

I have never seen anyone so beautiful in my life! I now know what perfection is. I rake my eyes up and down and stop at her breasts. They are perfectly proportioned with the rest of her body. Flat toned stomach and well rounded hips. And, moving my eyes lower, I can't help but stare at her most private place.

"Like what you see? I do." She said, as she looks me over.

Before I can say anything, her lips are on mine making all other thoughts disappear. I'm lost in her kiss. She presses herself to me and I feel everything. Her hands are on my hips and slowly making their way up. She stops at my ribs and caresses them making me squirm into her. It's a pleasant feeling.

I go to place my hands on her but she grabs them and puts them against the shower walls. We break the kiss and she kisses along my jaw line until she reaches my ear.

"Don't touch me right now, Abigail. I may have the strength to not hurt you, but if you touch me, I may snap and take you right here, right now. And, I want to hold off on that a little longer." She breathed. Her voice low and husky, making me pant harder.

Who cares if she gives me a couple of bruises? I could live with that.

"The one time I want to touch you and you tell me no." I replied back with my own voice cracking.

"Next time, Abby. You'll get your chance. Today, I want it to be about you."

With that, she continues with her mouth on my shoulder. My breathing becomes labored as she moves her lips down while her hands move back to my ribs and continue a slow climb up.

Every time she kisses her way back up my neck, my breath hitches causing her to chuckle. I go to put my hands on her again but she swats them away. I need something to anchor myself and the walls are not helping.

I squeeze my eyes shuts and out let a loud moan when her thumbs swipe across my nipples. My back arches out to meet her as she does it again. I can't take it. She's driving me crazy with every caress.

"Oh, God!" I cry out when she pinches a nipple.

"You are so beautiful, Abigail. I'm losing my resolve fast."

"Hurry up and lose it already." I pant.

"No. I think that should be all for now. I want to draw this out a little longer." She chuckles and then she's gone.

"You have got to be kidding me?" I muttered still panting.

The water is cold, meaning that all the hot water is gone, so I get out, even more aggravated than I was when I stepped into the shower. She's going to drive me crazy with her teasing. I don't know how much longer I can stand it before I combust with sexual frustration.

"If you wanted to distract me, you could've done it a different way." I muttered knowing that she could hear me. I knew it was a way to keep me from seeing what was going on in the rest of the house. It was timed too perfect, which made me even angrier.

Once I'm dried off I go and get dressed. Of course, Alice left out a nice black dress for me to wear. I have to give her credit for her taste.

One moment, I'm next to the closet inspecting the dress with a towel wrapped around me, the next I'm on my bed with Tanya straddling me.

"Yes, I could have distracted you a different way, but I decided to do that. I've been dying to get in the shower with you for ages and I thought today was a good day for that."

"So, you were distracting me?" I asked.

"Yes!" she answered.

"From what?" I asked, immediately getting worried.

"You were right about Jacob. A couple of his pack came back wanting to talk to you. Alice didn't see your future reappear and her and Jasper stopped them from coming in." Tanya explained.

"Oh." Was all I could say. "Did they say what they wanted to talk to me about?" I asked.

"They didn't say."

I laid there, with her on me, thinking about what this could mean. It wasn't good. I can still remember what momma's assistant told me about people trying to stop me from my task or destiny. Could they be here to stop me?

"Abigail. Don't go there." Tanya whispered.

"Go where?" I asked.

"Thinking about what is going on with all this." She said shaking her head towards the door. "This may have been nothing at all."

"Okay." I answered getting her to quit her worrying.

I can tell Jasper is helping with my mood too. I'm too calm to argue and she knows it.

"Now, get dressed."

She gets off me and sits on the bed again. I sit up and look at the dress picked out for me.

"Abigail. This day if for you."

I look at her and see the love and devotion in them. Something I've never seen before, in anyone.

It's difficult dressing with Tanya watching. I can tell she is mentally undressing me and when I needed help with the zipper she's there to do it. It sends a shiver up my back as her fingers traces the zipper up.

"I can't wait to take this back off." She whispered and nips my ear.

"Quit trying to distract me." I muttered back.

She only chuckles.

We walk out to the living room and I see the dust is still settling as I walk down the hall. Once I reached the living room the sight shocked me.

Debris is everywhere. The coffee table is in pieces along with two dining room chairs. The table itself is leaning precariously against a wall. It looked like the living room chair was upended and set back up in its proper place. I can see the indentions where it used to be.

There are two holes in the dining room wall as well. I can tell that Alice and Jasper had vacuumed already and are just about done with the sweeping. I grimaced when I thought about Jamie seeing this.

"Jamie went with Josiah to get you some breakfast." Alice announced.

"Um. Josie didn't come in, did he?" I asked.

"No." Jasper answered.

I blew out a breath of relief. I hope they come up with a good story for this.

"We're going to tell him that Jamie is remodeling and we decided to get a head start on it." Alice said. I can tell she's upset too.

Is she a mind reader too?

"I saw you were going to ask that." She shrugged.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Yes. Just a little surprised is all. We had no idea what they were going to do and your future never reappeared." Jasper said.

"I've called Edward and Carlisle and explained what happened. Edward is going to call Jacob and see if he can tell what Jacob is doing." Alice said.

I can tell they were trying to hide their fear and anger from me. I know those looks from Thomas. He always looked that way when he missed an opportunity to get to me.

Jamie and Josie walked in and I can tell someone must have alerted Jamie to the mess he was about to walk into. Even though, he's usually pretty good at hiding his surprise, he still has some give a ways that tell he's upset or angry. His jaw twitches and his hands form into fists to keep from doing harm to someone. He was displaying both.

"Damn. What happened here?" Josie asked looking around.

"Uh. I decided to do some remodeling and it looks like they couldn't wait." Jamie answered rocking on the balls of his feet.

"Sorry. But, we love it when someone wants to do something different. Wait till you see what Esme can do." Jasper said smiling.

"Really?" Josie asked. I can tell he notices something happened but he doesn't want to say it. He's that way. He always wants to figure things out on his own.

"Well, we better get going or I'm going to be late for my own graduation." I relayed to everyone and then walked out the door.

 **XXXXXXX**

I'm currently standing in the tunnels under the stadium seats at the World Arena. It's the biggest place to hold our graduation. There are about 800 of us graduating and the ceremony is almost three hours long.

I'm wearing the traditional cap and gown with a sash around my neck indicating I'm a master's degree candidate. The cap and gown are solid black and the sash is white and yellow, the school's colors. Someone is walking up and down the hallway making sure we have the sash on right and explaining what the process is going to be.

I'm nervous about it. More so about falling and tripping on my face in front of the whole arena. Apparently, Alice knows and keeps texting me saying I'm going to be okay.

I'm standing with a few of my fellow Grad school classmates and they are all stoked about finishing school and can't wait to see what life will bring us with our new status of Grad school graduates.

I'm not so happy about that but play along anyway. No need to bring everyone else down with me. I already know what I need to do.

I'm standing there with everyone when a young man I haven't seen before walks up to me. He stands about six feet tall and a little on the heavy side. I can't tell if it's muscle or fat from the gown he's wearing. His dark hair is short with bangs that cover his eyes a little.

He gives me a once over with his piercing hazel eyes and nods. I don't want to know what he's thinking and shrug saying as much.

"May I have a moment Abby?" He asked.

He has a slight accent, one I can't tell and before I can say anything he takes my elbow and walks a few feet away from my classmates.

"Congratulations." He said.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I asked a little too rough.

I've had a crappy morning, apart from the shower, and I'm worried that Jacob and his crew aren't done with me yet.

"I'm someone who can help you out." He replied.

"How?"

"I can give you what you want."

"And, that is?"

"A life different from the one you're living. One that will be better and more successful."

"Really! I have a good life. Why would I want to change that?"

"Because you are still suffering from your childhood. I can make that disappear and give you one that will be better. One where you will know love and happiness."

"How?" I eyed him. This can't be possible.

I don't know what he wants or where he's coming from, but my gut feeling is telling me to be on alert.

"I can do it and help you out, Abby. I know you've been hurting from everyone around you. I can make that all go away. And, it won't cause you any harm at all. Just think about it." He said and hands me a business card.

It's a generic one with only an address on it. When I look up to see him again, he's gone.

Who was that and what was his reason for talking to me?


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 38

Walking into the arena, I see that it's full to capacity. I hear everyone yelling for me and see that they are on the lower level and when get to my seat, they are right across from me. I guess Alice saw where I would be sitting and had everyone get seats by me. Once the music stops and the invocation given, we sit through the speeches from people I don't know.

An hour has passed so far and I'm too involved in a text war with Emmett, Jasper, Kate and Jamie. All thoughts of the guy giving me a business card are forgotten, for the time being. I don't want Edward or Alice know about it…right now. I also have forgotten, temporarily, about what happened this morning too. Not the one about Tanya. I couldn't forget that.

Next thing I know, my row is standing up to go to the stage and receive my diploma holder. I'll get the certificate sometime in July. As I hand the person my index card with my name printed on it, I walk up and get my holder. Smiling like a goof ball, I walk across the stage and stop to hug one of my professors. He gives me a big smile and tells me congratulations.

Once I'm back in my seat, without falling, I let out a huge breath. Now, I only have to endure the rest of the ceremony and that's with the 700 or so bachelor degree candidates. Yay!

I go back to the text war that's still going on and can't help but laugh at the stuff everyone is sending me. Tanya joins in on the battle and the stuff she sends me makes me blush furiously. I bet if anyone gets a hold of my phone, they would probably have a heart attack from the stuff on it.

Just before the ceremony ends, I received a text from an unknown number. It read; _Congratulations Abby. Pls consider the offer I'm giving you_.

I asked who it was but got no answer.

The next few texts are from Alice, Edward and Tanya asking if I'm okay. Geesh! They catch everything. I replied with an okay and quit worrying.

Edward: _What offer are you talking about?_

I look over at him with my mouth hanging open. He can hear my thoughts among everyone here?

Edward: _Yes!_

I look over at him and watch him and Bella looking back at me intently. He holds up his phone telling me to respond. Why bother if he can hear me.

Edward: _Answer the question Abby!_

 _I got an offer from some dweeb in the tunnels_. I replied back.

Edward: _What kind of offer?_

 _Just telling me if I wanted to do something different is all. Quit worrying!_

My God! That boy's going to worry himself into a grave…figuratively speaking.

Edward: _I can't help it. Your 'voice' is louder than everyone else. And, I'm not going to worry myself into a grave!_

Jasper: _Yes! He is!_

Tanya: _Just think about what we did this morning. That'll get rid of him_.

I can't help but think of what I did in the shower with her. Images fly through my head as I remember what happened. It worked!

Edward: _STOP!_

I chuckle. Guess that'd teach him. I glance over and see him squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. Emmett looks at him a bit confused and, I'm guessing Bella tells him.

Emmett: _I want to know what happened in the shower._

Oh my God! He's just as bad, if not worse.

When the ceremony finally finishes and we all move our tassels from one side to the other everyone on the floor jumps up and throws their caps up in the air. I decline to do mine.

Emmett is the first to hop over the wall and get to me. He picks me up and swings me around like a little kid.

"Congrats Abster." He cheered.

"Thanks, Emme." I replied back.

One by one, everyone comes up to me with congratulations. It feels weird and unusually satisfying. Tanya finally walks up to me and gives me one hell of a kiss. I can't help but think of this morning and what she was doing to me. Much to Edward's annoyance, he walks off leaving everyone laughing.

Josie and Will walk up with huge smiles.

"Way to go Lil sis." Will yelled and then gave me a hug.

"Mom couldn't make it." Josie said doing the same.

I figured as much. She doesn't do these things. I don't think she's been to anyone's graduation. It's just as well.

I can tell that some of the vamps are not happy hearing the news. I only shrug and ask what we're going to do next. I'm starving!

After taking some pictures and I hand in my gown, we're off to get the human some much-needed nutrition. When we walk outside, it looks like it's going to start raining at any moment. Josie and Will asked me to ride with them. I knew they wanted a better explanation about the house.

Alice walks up and hugs me again.

"They're going to want to know what happened." She whispered.

"Okay. What do I tell them?"

"The truth!" She replied and lets go of me then walks off with Jasper.

I look at her like she's crazy and then look at Edward for confirmation and he only shrugs.

Once I got in the truck, it was awkward since I'm in a dress; Tanya climbs in on the other side and slides next to me. Her movements are so graceful that I could watch her move without getting bored.

"So, sis, want to tell us what really happened this morning?" Josie asked not wasting any time and looking in his rearview mirror.

"No idea. I was in the shower during the destruction phase." I replied.

It wasn't a lie.

"Really? You didn't go out there to see what they were doing?" Will asked turning in his seat.

Apparently, Josie told Will what happened.

"No. Unless I went out there in my birthday suit." I told them smiling.

"And, what a sexy birthday suit you have too." Tanya whispered in my ear making me blush.

"What were you doing Tanya?" Will asked realizing I was telling the truth.

"I was in the shower with Abby." She replied nonchalantly while her hand rubs circles on my knee.

OH. MY. GOD!

Could I be anymore embarrassed? You could probably fry an egg on my face with how hot it is right now. I look out my window to keep from looking at anyone, especially Will or Josie.

From the corner of my eye, I see Will look from Tanya to me back to her with a look of awe. He slowly smiles as he puts two and two together.

"Wow! Kid, I didn't realize you were capable of that with all your issues." He smiled at me.

"We're working on that." I muttered still staring out the window.

"I didn't think I would live to see that day again." He laughed.

I roll my eyes at him, which makes him laugh louder.

Josie tightens his grip on the steering wheel, not at all pleased.

We pull into a parking lot and get out. I take a little longer with my dress and make Will help me down.

"Why did you drive this thing anyway?" I asked a little miffed.

"Why not? It works." Josie shrugged.

I run my arms up and down my body indicating my dress and he only stares at me asking what I'm talking about. No wonder why he isn't married anymore.

Jamie gets out of the car with Jasper and Alice, holding his stomach. Apparently, he's still not used to their driving.

"Geez, Abby. What's got you so embarrassed? I felt you from our car." He whispered as we walked into the restaurant.

What? They couldn't hear the conversation we were having?

"My brothers asked what I was doing while you all were demolishing the dining and living rooms." I whispered back.

That caused him and Alice to start laughing. Edward muttered something I couldn't hear as he walked passed us. Poor guy!

Once we were all inside the Chinese restaurant and seated, everyone takes their time ordering. This ought to be interesting watching how the vamps pull off not eating in front of my brothers.

During lunch, I couldn't help but laugh at Jamie trying to use chopsticks and having Emmett, of all people, show him how to use them properly. At one point, he leans over to me and asks how it's possible for them to use the chopsticks if they can't eat. Good point.

"It's so we can blend in better." Tanya whispered.

Oh. That makes sense.

When everyone is done eating, Tanya grabs my hand and says goodbye then leads me out to a black car waiting for us. It's a rental car. She holds the door open for me and once I'm in she goes around, almost too fast for a human, and slides in the driver's seat.

"Where are we going?" I asked surprised by her determination.

"Continuing your celebration." She answered, her eyes on the road.

"Okay. I take it no one else is invited?" I asked amused.

"No. Not for this one." Was her only answer.

Okay.

She didn't drive for very long. As she pulled into the Broadmoor hotel's roundabout, my eyes about popped out of my head. I've only been here a few times eating with the store manager. She has an expensive pallet.

I've also walked around the small lake and searched the rooms, but I've never stayed the night. The doorman opens my door and helps my out. Talk about being spoiled! Tanya pops the trunk and grabs an overnight bag and my messenger bag. She hands it to the doorman and he follows us inside.

We walk into the hotel and I can't help but look around. The entryway and check-in area is spacious. It has marble floors with a giant Persian rug. There is a marble staircase with wooden banister that spirals upwards. The area has a reddish tone to it with wood accents.

Once the check-in is completed, we follow another young man up the marble stairs. Tanya has her hand on my lower back and slowly moving it side to side, making my body do all kinds of weird things. I know she knew what she was doing by the smile on her face.

We arrive at our room and the guy opens the door for us and places our bags on the dresser. Tanya hands him some money and it looked like a lot from the look on his face.

I kick off my heels and stretch my toes out on the nice beige carpet. I swear I'm never wearing these things again.

I look around the room. It's a nice big room with a king size bed with a lot of decorative pillows with brown or ivory covers on them. The headboard and footboard is solid oak with a foot bench at the end. There are two chairs with brown and taupe striped cushions. The forty-inch television sits on an oak entertainment center with cabinets full of nothing.

I sit on the bed and bounce a couple of times. It's a pillowtop and very comfy. Running my hand over the duvet, I can't help but smile. I have always wondered what it was like to stay in a five star hotel. Walking around it and seeing everything from the outside is one thing, but seeing it from the inside is something on a whole new level.

Tanya closes the curtains and stands in front of me. I wonder what she plans on doing and all thoughts disappear when she leans over and slowly kisses me. My head is spinning by the time she lets go.

Without talking she takes off all her clothes. Once she's done, she comes up to me again and takes my mouth in hers. My toes are curling from the intensity of it. She pulls away long enough for me to catch my breath before resealing her lips to mine.

I'm lost in her and hear clothes ripping not realizing it's my dress that she's taking off. She pulls my hands from the bed and places them on her waist. I pull away and look up at her panting. Her eyes are now pitch black and I know it's not from needing to feed or drink.

I run my hands up and down her sides and then across her smooth flat stomach. I'm amazed at how smooth she is. It's almost like touching a statue. I look up again and see that her eyes are closed. I'm wondering how far I can go before she loses it. When she opens her eyes I search them to see if she's close to snapping but she only smiles at me.

"Your hands are so soft, Abigail." She said, her voice low and husky. It does strange things to me.

Before I can reply, she steps between my legs and pulls my head to her. Her left hand traces up my outer thigh making me tighten my muscles there.

I inhale deeply taking in her amazing scent. I could get drunk off this alone. For some reason, I have no idea; I'm reacting to her more and more. It must be affecting her too because she is taking long deep breathes herself.

After I inhale once more, I start placing kisses along her chest until I reach a breast and take a nipple into my mouth. I've never been with a woman before and not sure I'm doing this right, but from hearing her inhale deeply and putting a little more pressure on my head, I'd say I was doing pretty good.

Smiling at myself for making her react this way, I decide to try something. I opened my mouth wider and licked the nipple making it pucker out more, then I rake my teeth over it until I have the end in between my teeth and bite down a bit harder than normal.

It had the effect I wanted when I hear her hiss and arch her back. Smiling to myself I kiss across her chest to the other nipple and decide to add something to this one. I run my hands up to her shoulder blades and when I open mouth and rake my teeth down, I rake my nails down her back causing her to let out a loud growl.

One second I'm sitting on the edge of the bed, next second the pillows are gone and I'm lying on the sheets with the blankets pulled back. Tanya did all that within a blink of an eye. And, now she's straddling me and staring down at me. A look of pure hunger written all over it.

"No one's ever done that to me, Abigail." She whispered.

"Done what?" I asked amused.

"Made me react like that. I like it." She replied.

"Wow! I didn't know I had it in me." I smiled.

"You just had to let yourself go."

With that she starts kissing my lips then my jaw and my collarbone. She slowly makes her way down to my chest. While her lips are getting familiar with my breasts, her hands are roaming over my stomach, hips and legs. She slides her legs between mine and lifts my legs up making me bend my knees.

I grab onto the sheets for dear life. What she's doing to me, no one's ever done before. My stomach clenches and my back arches off the bed when she takes a hardened nipple into her mouth. Tanya swirls her tongue around making me squirm underneath her. I can't help but let out a moan when she bites down slightly. Similar to what I did to her.

She moves to the other nipple and starts working that one as a hand moves down to my very private part. I begin rocking my hips to keep pace with her hand as it slowly rubs up and down my slit.

It's when she presses on my bundle of nerves and bites down on my nipple that I come undone.

Once I come down, Tanya only smiles at me and make her way down to where her hand is and replaces her hand with her tongue. I almost sat up at how sensitive I still am.

The noises I'm making only makes Tanya chuckle and her movements to go faster. I almost come unglued again when I feel a finger enter me. Her movements are slow and methodical and she takes enjoyment from my moans and murmurs.

When she adds another finger and pumps them in and out, I had to squeeze my eyes shut to try and stave off another mind-blowing orgasm. My nerves are in overdrive and I can't keep up with what Tanya is doing to me.

I feel a third finger enter and bend inside me. It was when she hit a sweet spot and bite on my clit that I come undone again. This time, I black out for a second or a minute or and hour. I lose all track of time.

Tanya rides out my orgasm, her fingers still inside me and only when I become coherent again and my breath slows down does she stop and pull out, making me moan again. I feel like jell-o and am content to stay this way forever.

When Tanya makes her way back up to me, I see her look of pure joy.

"This is only the beginning, my Love."

And, with that she starts all over again.


	40. Chapter 40

**Note: Sorry for the delay in updating. I had knee surgery last month and am now able to start writing agian. Appreciate your patience and the reviews you all have submitted so far. I should be updating on a regular basis now. So enjoy Abby's next adventure into the past!**

Chapter 39

We emerged from the hotel room two days later. I was more relaxed than I had been in a long time. Not to mention, sore in places I didn't know I could be.

It wasn't like we had sex the whole time we were there. We talked about our pasts and our interests. She pretty much knew all about my past and what my interests were. I, however, didn't know anything about hers.

The biggest piece of info that she relayed to me was that her and her sisters, Kate and Irina, are where the legends of the succubae came from. I sat there with my mouth gaping open as she told me the story.

Apparently, her mother, Sasha, created an immortal child. An immortal child is a child that was turned into a vampire. Think of Claudia from _Interview with a Vampire_ only worse. They had no control over their thirst and couldn't keep the knowledge of vampires from the humans. It was against vampire law (I didn't know they had those) and Sasha paid the ultimate punishment in that she was beheaded and burned.

After that, the girls spent their time trying to get over their mother's death. They would take men and women into their beds and tried to lose themselves. Since the sex was so intense, they would end up killing their lovers.

After some years, Tanya was out hunting and came across some deer. She was so distraught about killing people that she went ahead and drained some deer. After she did this a few times, she realized that she could live off the animals and not harm any more humans. Telling her sisters her idea, they were eager to follow. That was over 600 years ago.

She's so in control of herself, she could go in and do open heart surgery on someone and not bat an eye. I mean that in the literal sense too. She has about a billion degrees in probably every field there is too.

Was I angry for her being known as a succubus? No. That was way before my time. I understand what she had to go through. People do unimaginable things to get over their grief. Sometimes its good and sometimes its bad things they do. Don't judge a person for they're past actions. Respect them that they overcame a difficult time in their lives and able to move on.

She was surprised that I was musically inclined. I played the cello, violin and piano. She wants me to play for her sometime. I told her it had been years since I touched an instrument. She didn't care.

When we arrived back at the house, I saw that there is some major construction going on. An electric saw can be heard coming from the back yard and when we walked into the house the furniture was missing and most of the walls. Emmett and Jasper are out back with several pieces of wood leaning against the fence. Alice and Esme are in the kitchen looking over a blueprint of their design.

"You weren't kidding about getting carried away with the whole redesign thing." I muttered to myself.

Alice looks up and smiles at us.

"Good. Your home." She squeals.

She takes my hand and drags me back out of the house. The sun is hidden behind some menacing clouds. It looks like it's going to rain again. This has been the wettest month in a long time.

"Uh. Alice, where are we going?" I asked.

"For a walk." She answered.

"Okay."

"Just want to spend some time with my niece, is all."

Something is wrong and I can't quite put my finger on it. We walked to the elementary school and sat on the swings. I grimaced as I sat down. I looked over and can see Alice trying to hide her laughing.

"So, how was the last two days?" She asked innocently.

"They were good. Learned a lot about each other." I answered.

"I'm sure." She replied.

"We didn't do that the whole time we were there. I found out that Tanya and her sisters are the succubae that the legends were based on. It was interesting to learn stuff about her."

"You're not at all upset by that information?"

"Why would I be? That happened over 800 years ago. I would have to go back over twenty generations of my family to reach the time she lived that life. I'm not going to judge someone by what they did that long ago." I answered.

"Good." Was Alice's only reply.

After a few minutes of quiet, I couldn't hold it any longer. Fidgeting in my swing I looked over at Alice.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I want to tell you what happened Friday."

"Okay. Go ahead."

"A couple of Jacob's pack came over and wanted to talk to you. I can't see them with my gift, so I had no idea what they wanted. We told them that you were getting ready for graduation but they insisted to see you. It got a little rough when they tried to push their way past us."

"A little?" I asked.

"Okay. It got downright mean. Rosalie and Emmett chased them out and followed them a ways but stopped when they went into the mountains."

"Did they say what they wanted?"

"No. But, they seemed adamant about getting to you. I don't think they were here for a friendly visit."

"Are they always like this? Aggressive?"

I don't know much about the shape shifters and what their purpose is, if they have one, that is.

"Not always. They seemed okay when we arrived. I don't know what happened. Neither does anyone else."

I have an idea. It was something the guy I met at the dance. Momma's assistant. He told me that there will people who will try to stop me from finding the journals and therefore finding my mom. I wonder if the pack somehow were turned, or whatever it is that happens.

"Abby." Alice called out.

I looked up at her and gave her a small smile.

"What's wrong?"

"I was thinking about what momma's assistant told me at the dance." I replied.

"What was that?"

"He said there will be people who will try to stop me in getting momma back. I'm wondering if the pack were somehow changed or whatever."

"It sounds plausible. I'm not sure. It makes sense." She thought out loud.

We sat there, on the swings, lost in thought when Alice interrupts me.

"Abby."

"Yeah." I said, staring off into space.

"You aren't mad at us for stopping you from coming out to the living room are you?"

I look over at her and see that she is waiting anxiously for my reply.

"No. I get you guys are tying to protect me. It just took my by surprise is all." I answered honestly. Not to mention, seeing Tanya in all her glory. Let's not go there.

"Okay. I have something I need to ask you then."

"Okay." I hedge. What does she want?

"Who was the mysterious guy and what did he want?" she asked looking me square in the eyes.

Oh. That.

"He came up to me when I was getting in line to come out of the tunnel and onto the floor for graduation. He told me that he could give me a different life if I wanted it. I don't know what he meant."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. That and he knew my cell number and told me congrats on graduating. I assume it's something the school does."

I knew that was somewhat of a lie. I graduated there with my Bachelor's and didn't see anyone doing what this guy was doing.

"Well. Edward and Jasper drove to the address and only saw an empty warehouse."

"Really? That's weird." I said.

"Yeah. It was. I think this guy is after you too. Don't be surprised Abby if we all get a little overprotective of you, especially Tanya. A newly mated vampire is something to reckon with. No one in their right mind would come between them. I'm just warning you is all."

"I know. Tanya told me that already." I stopped the swing and looked over at her.

"How did you guys know the address anyways?"

"Tanya saw it and texted the address to Edward. He and Jasper went yesterday to check it out. Please don't try and go there alone. We don't know what it could be."

"I won't. I thought it seemed weird when he came up to me with the business card. Thought it was a job offer or something like that." I answered.

"Okay. Thank you. Another thing too. Well, actually, two more things."

"Alright."

"First, and foremost, we need to get your brothers to quit asking questions about us and you. They're about to find out some stuff and will come by to ask you. More like interrogate you about the note Josiah received from your mom."  
"Great! I wished they would quit that. I know they worry about me too, but they take it to an extreme." I shake my head.

"I've noticed. The other thing is that we should have you get the next journal soon. That way, if they come over we can say that you found one and received it in the mail. It could buy us some more time to think of something else.  
"Okay. How soon do you all want me to go?"

"Today!"

"Oh."

I have no idea what I'm doing. I know I need to go back to some battle in World War I and get a journal. Only question is, from who? Is it an American, British, French, German, or Russian soldier I have to get it from? It won't be too much of a problem if it's on the Allied side. But, something tells me it's not going to be that easy.

"Come on. We better get back before Tanya has a meltdown. She's threatening to destroy someone's car if we're not back in the next five minutes. Also, I can show you what we have ready for you to go back for and with."

She takes my hand again and we walk back down the street to the house. By the time we reach the house, I can feel the first drops of rain coming down. Tanya is out the door and in front of me in a nanosecond.

Alice releases my hand and walks inside while Tanya grabs me and hugs me a little too tight. She has her head nuzzling my neck and hair. Her arms wrap around my waist and pull me closer to her.

"Um. Tanya. Don't you think we should take this inside?" I asked as she still nuzzles me.

"Okay. I'm just trying to cover you in my scent. I can smell Alice all over you and its bothering me." she admitted.

"Oh."

After a few minutes pass by, Tanya lets me go and escorts me into the house. In only the short time Alice and I have been gone, the walls are up and sanded. Everything is cleaned up for the moment and a clean area for Jamie and I to eat has food on it.

The smell is delicious. They didn't cook today and bought more Chinese food. I'm starving. It's from my favorite restaurant again. I don't mind, they have excellent food there and it's a family restaurant, which makes it better than a chain. They actually know how to cook their food too.

Jamie already has a heaping plate of food and I get my own and pile it up. As we eat, the others come over and watch for a few minutes. They find it fascinating how we eat. I don't see anything fascinating about it myself.

Tanya is as close to me as she possibly can be without sitting on me. I have a feeling the others told her about me trying to get the journal and she's most likely worried.

"Can we please talk about something instead of you guys watch us eat. It's kind of weird." I said. Jamie nodded in agreement.

"We can go over the plan for you getting the journal." Jasper suggested.

I shrugged and nodded at him.

The next hour was spent listening to him go over what happened on that day in 1916. It was one of the worst battles in World War I. Over 57,000 men died in just one day. Over a million lost their lives during the campaign that lasted four months.

I know that I have to arrive on the first day of the battle. I'm hoping and counting on no vampire or other beings being there to alert anyone to where I am or who I am. I noticed that no one sees me when I jump somewhere. It was only when Alice or Tanya came up to me and started talking that everyone noticed I was around.

After I told everyone this theory, they seemed to relax a little. The Cullen kids, except Jasper, were still human. Jasper was in Mexico killing newborn armies. That, in itself, sounds creepy and terrifying. Esme was being beaten by her first husband in Ohio and Carlisle was somewhere in the Midwest practicing medicine.

The Denali's were in living in Russia and preparing to leave for the U.S. They saw and knew what was coming when the Russian Tsar entered the war. Many people were starving and barely making ends meet when the war broke out. It only intensified the uneasiness going around. The Denali's saw the signs and were making plans of leaving. Tanya told me that was why they were on Titanic when it sank. They came over to see what the "New World," (that's what Kate calls our country) offered. Seemed they liked what they saw.

Once I was done eating, I was shone some stuff that they acquired. I didn't want to know how they got this stuff because if it comes back I'll just play the stupid innocent bystander.

The first thing I was handed was a gas mask. Carlisle showed my how to use it and then Alice and Tanya insisted I put on properly five times before they were satisfied I could do it. I didn't think muster gas wasn't used at the time I was going back but I guess it was.

The next thing I had to put on was a flak jacket. That's right, a flak jacket. Tanya put it on and tightened it so tight I could barely breath. Rosalie had to step in and adjust it for me. I never realized how much they weigh either. I think I may have gained about twenty pounds. That could cause a problem if I have to make a run for it.

When I found out I had to retrieve a journal in World War I, I wasn't scared or nervous, but now I'm scared shitless. The way everyone is acting, they think I'm going to get my head blown off and they may be right.

Once the lesson was over, I was told to change into appropriate cloths. I guess wearing capris and sandals won't cut it for where I'm gong.

Tanya followed me down the hall with her hands on my waist. Once in the bedroom, she closed the door and was on me in an instant. The kiss she gave me was full of love and desperation. I know she's beside herself letting me go without her.

"How are you doing, Love?" She whispered.

"I'm good." I replied.

"Liar."

"Am not."

"Your eyes are dilated. Your heart rate has increased the minute Jasper started talking. You're sweating, and your fidgeting with your fingers. That is a sure sign of your anxiety."

I was fidgeting with my fingers. Dang! I didn't realize that.

"How come I don't feel nervous?" I asked.

"Jasper."

"Oh. I guess I should thank him."

"He said, your welcome." Tanya replied. "You have no idea how crazy I am right now. A part of me doesn't want you to leave. The other half knows you can do it and come back, preferably in one piece."

"I'll be okay. If you guys aren't there then I should be able to find the journal and come back without anyone seeing me." I explained.

"I know. But, I don't think it's going to be as easy as you say it is. Having that man come up to you on the ship was a fluke. I don't think it was meant to be that easy. This time it may be worse and not in a physical way. The bombing from the battle could be heard all the way in London and that's over a thousand miles away."

"If your trying to make me more nervous then you succeeded." I replied.

"I'm not trying to make you nervous Abigail. I'm trying to make you realize that it's going to be more difficult trying to find this soldier and get the journal, especially if he's in No Man's Land. Very few men made it across there in one piece. Even today, it's still a toxic wasteland."

"Really?" I didn't know that.

"Yes. With all the toxins and live bombs still around, it's been fenced in and no one is allowed in there."

"Wow!"

I wasn't impressed by the news. More like overwhelmed. It's been almost a hundred years since the war and still nothing can be grown there from all the bombs and chemical gases they used. That's scary really.

There was a knock on the door and Alice entered.

"Sorry to interrupt but lets not waste anymore time than we have to."

With that she opened my closet and pulled out a few items. I should be surprised that she knew where everything was but since she bought them, I wasn't.

Ten minutes later, I was dressed in a pair of cargo pants and a tee shirt followed by a long sleeved button up shirt. I have wool socks on with a good pair of hiking boots. I also have a short brown jacket to keep the moisture from getting to my skin. I heard it had been raining the days before the attack and there were some reports of it falling the day the battle started.

Back out in the living room, Emmett hands me a six-inch knife that I can strap to my pants.

"Can you handle this Abster?" he asked seriously.

"Please. I'm not just a pretty face." I replied. I was actually surprised by his seriousness. I don't think I've ever seen him be serious about anything.

Will and Josie showed my how to protect myself and to handle a knife without cutting myself. They wanted to make sure I would never fall prey to anymore abuse.

I was about to put my bag strap over my head when Alice grabbed the bag and started to pull it away from me. I grabbed onto it tighter. I never went anywhere without it.

"Abby, you need to leave it here." Alice said gently.

After a few minutes I slowly opened my hands and let the bag slip out. Instead of being fully dressed, I now feel completely naked.

"I'll take care of it, okay?" She asked holding the bag to her.

I only nodded.

Jasper hands me a picture of some trenches. It looks horrible. This is where I will be going. From there I am to walk along the trenches for a short time and see if anyone walks up to me. I doubt it but it could happen.

Esme hands me a small backpack full of supplies and water if I need them. The gas mask is hanging in the front on a strap. I'm now ready to storm the trenches. I hope my nerves hold up. I wish Jasper were coming with me to keep me from having a meltdown.

"You'll be okay Abby. Just keep your mind on getting the journal." Edward said.

I only nodded.

Tanya kissed me and then pressed her forehead to mine.

"Come back in one piece, Love."

"I will." I replied.

She stepped back and let me get my bearings. Looking around, everyone is trying their best not show how concerned they are for me. I bet Jasper is working hard to keep everyone calm.

"Okay, guys. See ya in a few." I announced.

I looked at the picture and concentrated on where I want to be. Closing my eyes I feel the familiar pull and I knew I am now moving back in time. Once the feeling leaves me, I open my eyes and stare into a mud wall. I am now in a trench in France in a war.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 40

My senses come back full throttle and I am in a maelstrom of sound and smells. The canon fire is so close and loud it reverberates throughout my whole body. The ground shakes and causes me to stumble. I'm standing in, at least, a foot of muddy water. I cover my ears to soften the noise but it's no use.

The second thing draws my immediate attention is the smell. It's a rancid and disgusting smell. I bend over and heave. My Chinese dinner comes back up.

Note to self: don't eat before making a jump back.

Once I rid myself of dinner, I wipe the tears from my eyes and then my mouth. I pull my bottle of water from the side of my pack and rinse my mouth out. It helps a little, but the smell is still getting to me.

Putting the bottle back in the pack I stand up and cover my mouth and nose to help diminish the stench. Looking around I see soldiers getting ready for the battle.

The trench I'm standing in is about five feet wide and ten feet deep, which is wide enough for only two people to walk side-by-side in. Among the canon fire, there are screams of officers telling their men what to do and expect. I'm assuming it's the British side of the battle because I can understand what they are saying.

They are lined up and on ladders getting ready to charge. I wish I could tell them to hold until later knowing that most of these men will be dead by the end of the day.

No one sees me, meaning that I am oblivious to them. I walk a ways to see if anyone stops me like on Titanic and give up shortly after the whistles are blown.

The noise kicks up a few more notches when the men charge. It's relentless too. Their screams are of a different kind now. Men are in pain from the wounds they receive. I have to cover my ears again to try and block out the sounds.

When the trench is empty I pace for a while trying to decide what to do. Should I want and see if anyone is coming? Should I make an attempt and go onto the field and see if anyone notices me? I'm not sure what to do.

Hoping that my theory is right, I make the decision to climb the ladder and go out on the field.

I take several deep breaths and put my hands and right foot on the ladder. I can hear the bullets ricocheting off the backside of the trench and really want to not ascend anymore than I already have. It would suck if I took a hit to the head or heart. I wonder if I died in the past, what would happen to me in the future.

Banishing that thought I take a couple more steps up. The noise is increasing the higher I get. I'm half way up and can now look over the trench.

I peak over the edge and what I see makes me want to descend back down and wait and see who makes it back. There are several bodies lying near the ladder and one of the soldiers looks young. Maybe the same age as Jamie. I have a hard time turning away from his unseeing eyes.

I crouch back down on the ladder losing my confidence. Taking deep breaths I close my eyes trying to get the courage back. I'm gripping the ladder so hard, my knuckles are white. I can do this. I repeat that a few times, willing myself to move.

Taking one more deep breath, and trying not to gag, I straighten back up and move up the ladder. Once I'm at the top, I take in my surroundings again. There are more men lying about, some groaning from their wounds or shock, I'm not sure.

Just as I'm about to climb off the ladder I feel a jerk on my torso and I feel like I'm flying backwards. Next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground in a foot of muck.

Crap!

I look up to see what happened and I see a pair of long legs. I continue up the body and into the eyes of a very pissed off vampire.

Irina!

What the hell is she doing here?

My mouth hangs open. She stands there, like an avenging goddess. Her black eyes piercing through me and making me squirm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she growls between clenched teeth.

When I don't answer she lifts me up, like a rag doll, and shakes me a few times.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Uh. No." I muttered.

When I don't give her an immediate answer, she shakes me again.

"Abby, what are you doing here?"

"Trying to retrieve another journal."

"From whom?"  
"No idea." I answered shaking my head.

"So, you're going up there and get yourself shot then." It wasn't a question.

"Well, I was going up there hoping to get it before someone, like you, shows up and I get my ass shot off." I retorted.

"What do you mean?"

"I have a theory that if I'm alone, no one would see me. It was like that when I was on Titanic before Tanya walked up to me. Now that you're here, I have a feeling the chances of me getting shot are extremely high." I say as she still has my dangling about a foot off the ground.

She sets me down and I take a couple of steps away from her trying to wipe the muck off my hands.

I wish I had bought some hand sanitizer with me.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked as I continue pacing.

"I was looking for a way to the ocean. We are about to leave for the US and trying to find the best route there."  
"I guess you're gonna have to find a different way then." I said walking back to the ladder.

I start back up the ladder when Irina grabs my arm and stops me.

"Abby. I'm not going to let you go out there and get yourself killed. Tanya would crucify me if I did."

"I don't have a choice Irina. I have to do this." I try to pry her hand off me but it's like a vice.

"Seriously, Irina. I have to go up there."

We stand there staring at each other, willing the other to understand what we each need. My jaw is clenched, as is hers.

Without saying a word, Irina hops to the top of the trench and takes off a helmet from one of the soldiers. I stare, open mouthed, at her. Why do they make something like that look so easy?

"What're you doing?" I asked, slowly making my way back up the ladder.

"I'm going to help you. Do as I say and go where I go. Understand?"

She holds her hand out and I grab it. Without so much as a grunt, she lifts me completely out of the trench. Once I'm steady on my feet, Irina puts the helmet on me and secures it tightly around my chin.

"Do not take this off for any reason."

"Alright, already." I said swatting her hands away.

She glares back.

With that, we take off over the field. The noise is a lot louder up here. The gunfire, canon fire and shouts coming from the all around, makes it hard to concentrate on any one thing. The noise, the smoke, disorients me and I can't see too far ahead. My only hope is for Irina to guide me to the person holding the journal.

We walk a few feet, bent over. She has a hold of my hand and pulling my along. When a canon goes off a little too close, it sends dirt flying everywhere and at us, covering both in a hail of pebbles that sting when they hit me.

"So, I assume Tanya has found you." Irina said, trying to make conversation in all this mess.

"What makes you say that?" I asked ducking when I hear a bullet zing by me; at least, I think it's close to me.

"I can smell her all over you."

"Really?" I think I smell like a sewer.

"Yes. That and someone else or several…others."

"Geez! You guys must have very good noses." I muttered.

"We do. Mind telling me who the others are that I smell?"

"They're…another family of vampires." I hedged.

"Family!" Irina snorted. It sounds weird coming from someone as beautiful as her.

"Yes! Family. What. You don't see yourself in a family?" I asked my curiosity getting the best of me.

I've never asked any of the Denali's or Cullens about what they thought of themselves.

"No. We don't. We're a clan." She announced.

"Then why do you call Kate and Tanya your sisters?" I pointed out.

She stops and looks at me for a second, one brow raised.

"Good point."

I realized what Irina is doing. She's distracting me from seeing the dead bodies we're walking over. If I were paying attention, I would most likely start freaking out right about now. I'm more grateful for her being here.

It was then, that a hail of bullets finds us. In a nanosecond, Irina is using her body as a shield. I'm crouched and covering my head and praying that I won't die.

It seems like forever that the shooting continues and when there is a pause Irina runs with me in her arms to a crater created by the canons and sets my down.

I'm a trembling mess and it takes several minutes to clear my head that I realized Irina is talking to me.

"Are you hurt?" She repeats herself. Fear in her eyes.

"No. I'm okay." I panted.

Not liking my response, she pats my arms, torso and legs to make sure. Once she's satisfied she closes her eyes, taking deep breaths.

"What are you wearing that is makes you so…big?"

"It's called a flak jacket. It stops the bullets from hurting me…too much." I replied and open my jacket to show her.

She takes her hand and rubs the material fascinated by the new and strange material.

"Interesting."

We sit there while she collects her thoughts.

"There has to be a better way to do this." She growled.

"If you can think of one, I'm all ears." I replied.

I took a deep breath and tried to get myself under control. But, that only leads to me inhaling smoke and I start coughing. Irina takes a canteen from a dead soldier and hands it to me. I give her a look of disgust. She only shoves the canteen in my hands and lifts it to my mouth.

Taking several swallows I finally calm down. My throat feels like it's on fire. I drained the canteen and still feel thirsty. I take my backpack off and take out my water bottle and drink half of it too. Irina gives me a strange look when she sees what I'm drinking.

"It's a water bottle." I croaked out.

When I'm done drinking, she takes it and examines it for a bit.

"It has a strange texture to it."

"It's called plastic. Probably the worst invention ever created." I replied.

It would have been great if someone had invented something that was more biodegradable than plastic. Just saying.

We sit in the crater for about an hour, until I'm calm enough and the fighting has taken a different direction.

"So, doesn't the bullets bother you at all?" I asked a little impressed by her nonchalance at taking hit after hit.

"Not really. Sometimes their irritating and sometimes they tickle." She shrugs.

"Tickle?" I asked surprised.

"Yes. If they hit the right spot they tickle." She grinned.

"Okay." I didn't want to know where they would tickle.

"I think we should head back the other way. Maybe we will have better luck there." She said in a more serious tone.

"How far have we come?" I asked.

"About five miles."

"That far?" It didn't feel like we traveled that far. But with all the noise disrupting my senses, I wasn't sure how long we had been out here either. It seemed like forever on one hand but on the other, it seemed like a few minutes had passed.

"Are you ready?"

I only nod.

She takes my hand again and we traverse back over the field, a little faster this time. When it looks like the soldiers are about to retreat, we back up a several feet and let them move. No one pays us any attention and that makes me worried. I'm wondering if Irina being here isn't making it possible for us to find the man with the journal.

The ground is constantly rumbling and making me stumble. Irina has to stop and help me steady myself.

I realize that it's near impossible for me to do this alone. For that, I'm sure of. At one point, a canon was coming too close for Irina's comfort and she bats it away like it's a ball and her arm the bat. I could only gape at her.

I have no idea if we made it back to the starting point or have walked beyond that. All I know is that everything is chaotic. I can't make rhyme or reason of anything right now. There are bodies everywhere and I try hard not to look at them but it's impossible not to trip over one and not apologize for my clumsiness.

I tripped over a soldier who had a piece of shrapnel sticking out of him and I cut my hand.

Great! Now, I have to worry about an infection.  
Irina let my hand go and walks a few steps ahead. I wasn't paying her any attention. I was too busy trying to find something to make the bleeding stop. Once I found a, somewhat, clean cloth from a dead guy, I wrapped it around my hand and was ready to go.

I look up and see that Irina is more than several feet away from me and I start jogging to catch up to her. When I'm close enough I shout out for her to wait for me. She did.

I'm a couple steps away from her when I freeze. Something's wrong. My gut is telling me that I need to get away, and right now.

I back up and freeze again when Irina turns around. Her eyes are pitch black and the look in them has me trembling.

"Oh, Hell!" I muttered. "This isn't good. Not good at all."

What am I going to do now?

We stand there, staring at one another. When I flinched or tried to take a step back Irina would match me step for step. My heart is thundering in my chest. I hold up my hands hoping that would calm her down.

This wasn't the nice and loving and happy Irina that I knew from a few minutes ago. This is a predator and I am her prey.

"Please, please come to your senses." I prayed hoping she could hear me.

A canon lands a short distance from me and I flinch from the debris it sends in the air. I'm not worried about getting shot anymore.

I backed up and tried not to trip over anyone else and with success too. My hands are still up trying to convey to her to stay calm. She only grins and it's not a very pleasant one either.

"Oh shit!" I muttered when she goes into a crouch.

That was my cue to turn tail and run like hell.

I didn't make it very far. She's on me in an instant. I fall face forward into a body and prayed he was still alive to distract Irina for a second for me to get away again. But, it's useless; she's on top of me, pressing me into the ground, causing my chest to hurt.

Her mouth is near my ear and she inhales and chuckles.

"I did not realize how good you smelled." She breathed.

"You're going to waste 500 years of abstinence now." I choked out.

"600 years." She corrected.

She flips me over and she is now staring me in the face. Her mouth is dripping with venom and she's completely mad now. There isn't an ounce of the self-controlled vampire that I know.

In a last ditch effort to reach her; I grab a handful of dirt and through it at her. It didn't have the effect I wanted. She lets out a ear-piercing growl and lifts me off the ground and throws me like a rag doll about fifty feet and knocking the air out of me.

She's back on top of me, growling.

"That wasn't very nice." She growled through clenched teeth.

I'm startled that she didn't use my name when she spoke. It's like I'm not a human anymore, just a meal.

"Please, Irina. Think about what Tanya would do to you." I pleaded.

It didn't have any effect either.

She lifts me up and is about to slam me back down when I hear a whoosh and then a loud thunderclap and Irina is no longer on top of me.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 41

I'm too dazed to see what's going on.

Whoever forced Irina off me, I most likely owe my life to.

I raise myself to a sitting position and look around. I can't see Irina or the mysterious person. I try to stand up and when I do I start staggering around before I fall.

I'm lying there trying to collect myself.

The dizzy feeling isn't leaving.

I cover my face trying to take deep breaths. My whole body is still shaking and won't stop. I have to get back to the present and think of something else to do. I also have to find a way to tell Tanya without her going postal…or Alice…or any of the other vampires, for that matter.

Something lands on my stomach and I let out a scream. I flail my arms trying to get whatever landed on me off. A man is standing over me with a scowl on his face. I see he has short dirty blonde hair. His skin has a strange olive complexion to it. It's pale, like Tanya's, but still holds the olive tone to it. He stands about six feet tall and is lean. He kind of reminds me of Edward a little bit in his build.

But, the thing that stands out the most is his eyes. They are a deep ruby red. A color I have yet to see on anyone, human or vampire. He holds my gaze and leans down, making me flinch and lifts a small rectangle object.

I look at it then him. It's a journal. Most likely the one Irina and I have been looking for.

"I believe you are looking for this." He holds the journal out for me to take. He has a strange accent I've never heard before. It's smooth and has a kind of lilt to it.

I hesitantly take the journal. He grabs my hand and lifts me up without any effort. I realize that this is a vampire. His hands are ice cold and hard, like stone.

He stares me in the eye and makes me want to look away but I can't. He holds my gaze but then looks me over. Satisfied with what he sees, he takes a step back.

I go to thank him, but he looks over my shoulder. Whatever he sees, he doesn't like. Just like Irina, he lifts me up and runs off. When he stops, we're back in the trench. He lets me go and I tumble into the muddy water…again.

"Crap!" I muttered.

I stand up and try to clear the muck off me and give up. I look up to see where my mystery man is and see that he's only a couple feet from me watching.

"Uh. I just want to say thanks for helping me out." I said wiping my hands on my jacket.

"For what exactly?" He asked.

"Well, for saving my life for one and finding the journal for another." I answered.

"You are welcome."

"May I ask how you found me?"

"You're mother told me to come here."

Figures!

I close my eyes and really want to hit something. Why does she make me come back to risk my life only to have someone pop up at the last second and hands me what I want? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what she's doing, but she could have them time it a little better.

"You know my mom?" I asked for confirmation.

"Yes. You look some much like her."

I only nod.

I start pacing again because the adrenaline is still coursing through me and I can't stay still.

"Please, tell me you didn't hurt Irina." I begged. I hope she's okay.

He tilts his head to one side watching me.

"Why do you care if she is okay? She nearly killed you."

"Because I care for her." I answered.

"Yes. She is okay. I sent her off to hunt. I know that harming humans is against their ways."

"Their?" I asked.

He knows about her and the rest of the Denali clan? What about the Cullens?

"I have ran into them…once."

"Oh." That makes sense. The Denali's have been around a while.

"Mistress."

"Uh. Yeah." I answer still pacing.

"I think it is time for you to get back." He said raising a brow, his hands behind his back. It reminds me of how Jasper stands sometimes.

"Get back to where?" I asked momentarily forgetting where I was.

"To your time." he announced.

"Right!"

Crap! How can I be so dense?

"Thank you…" I stop waiting for him to give me his name.

"Dmitri."

"Dmitri. I owe you big time." I explained.

"Your mother has saved me countless times. I am only repaying part of my debt." He answered.

"To her. Not to me." I amended.

"If you say so, Mistress." He bows.

"Please don't do that. I don't deserve it." I ordered.

"You deserve so much more. Madam."

I want to roll my eyes but I don't know what the protocol is for this time period, but something tells me he's older than I want to know.

"Now, go." He orders. I nod.

I close my eyes and concentrate on going home. Before I get the thought out, I hear a strange noise and open my eyes. I see several canisters have been tossed into the trench and realize with horror that they are filled with gas.

My eyes bulge and I start shaking again. I can smell them before I can see the smoke rising from them and my nose and mouth start burning with a fire I have not known before now. My eyes are next to start burning and watering.

Dmitri growls and orders me to get out of here then I feel myself flying again. I'm not sure whether it's because I'm coming back to the present or if he tossed me out of the trench but I'm praying that I'm making the return trip to the twenty first century.

I land on something hard and all the breath whooshes out of me. My ears are ringing and I feel numb everywhere.

I can't hear anything. I can't see anything and I can't feel anything. Talk about sensory deprivation.

It seems like forever when everything comes roaring back to me in one screeching moment.

I take a deep breath and it feels like my lungs are on fire.

I hear people talking all around me, even though I can still hear the ringing. My vision is still blurred and the shapes I see are moving at an alarmingly fast rate.

I try to sit up but a hand pushes me back down. Someone is talking but I can't understand what he or she is saying.

Then, someone starts pouring something over my eyes and I jerk and flail my arms and legs trying to get away from the pain it's causing. It feels like someone is pouring acid or something along those lines on me.

Still struggling, I suddenly go limp. All the fight goes out and a sense of peace and calm take over.

While this is going on, I feel the clothing being ripped away and several cool cloths are being wiped over my body, like someone or several some ones are cleaning me. My hair is being washed too. If I was more coherent I would be pitching a fit, but right now I could care less.

When all that is over, I'm being dried off and someone rubs something over my eyes causing me to freak out again. The same calm and relaxation overtakes me again and then I'm drawn into a deep sleep.

I wake several times only to drift off again.

When my nightmares overwhelm me, I feel a pair of cool hands cup my face and ease me awake. I know those hands as well as I know my own.

After this happens many more times, I surface for good.

It's night. At least, I think its nighttime. My eyes are still blurry and that bothers me the most. Every time I reach up to rub them, the familiar hands stops me. I try to pull away but the grasp on my wrists gets a little firmer.

That brings back a memory from my time away and another familiar hand grasps my arm. I inhale a gasp and stiffen. It doesn't go unnoticed by Tanya.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice low and full of concern.

"Nothing." I croak out. My throat is raw and dry.

I feel like I've been walking through a desert without water or sunscreen.

I sit up and prop my arms on my knees. I feel a pull on my hands and feel them. I have an IV in both hands. I groan knowing that everyone must be worried sick about me. I get a confirmation when Tanya whispers a yes in my ear.

The bed moves and Tanya is sitting in front of me. I can feel her breath on my face.

"Abigail. Tell me what's wrong. Please, Love." She begs.

"It's nothing. What's wrong with my eyes?" I asked irritated.

I tried blinking whatever is in them but it only makes the blurriness worse.

"There's Vaseline in them. It's to prevent them from getting too irritated and causing more damage."

"Can someone please clean them out? It's bothering me too much." I asked, the hysteria just under the surface but I think Tanya can hear it.

There's a soft knock on the door and someone walks in. I see a light coming from down the hall and a few voices murmuring.

Carlisle is at my side in a second, checking my pulse.

"How are you feeling, Abby?" He asked.

"Okay. Have a raging headache and my skin feels like I've had an allergic reaction to something. It's all itching and tingly." I croaked.

"That's good to know. What about your eyes? How are they?"

"If I can get this crap outta them, I could give you a better idea. Their irritating as hell." I answered.

It's quiet for a minute or two.

"Do you know how long you were exposed to the gas?" he asked concerned.

"Not very. Maybe ten seconds before I was flying back here." I answered as honestly as possible. It couldn't have been much longer than that.

"That's good." He said relieved.

I hear several people take a deep breath and the atmosphere seems to lighten.

I hear the water running from my bathroom and feel a cool washcloth on my eyes. I sigh in relief. Once the goop is out of my eyes, I blink a lot to try and clear them. It works a little bit. The edges are still blurry but I can deal with that.

I see Tanya with a look of worry on her face. There's a crease between her eyes and looks like it's been there for a while. I give her a reassuring smile but it doesn't do any good. There's something that's bothering her and I wonder what it is.

"How's that?" Carlisle asked.

"Better. Still a bit blurry around the edges, but that's okay." I answered.

"Okay. Tilt your head back a bit." He said holding a small bottle of something.

I do as he says and he puts drops in each eye. They cool and sooth the eyes and I give another sigh of relief.  
"Better?"

"Yes."

"It's a prescription lubricant. It'll help to get the moisture back to your eyes. Put them in as much as you like to help."

"Will do." I said without looking at him. Then I look at my hands and then him.

"I'll take those out later. You still need the fluid and the antibiotic in case you get an upper respiratory infection." He answered my unasked question.

I frown and nod.

"I'll leave you two then."

"Thanks." I tell him as he walks out.

"Your welcome, Abby."

He closes the door behind him. Tanya and I stare at each other waiting for the other to talk first. I take a breath and get ready to ask her what's wrong when she holds up a finger.

"Come in Alice." She said.

The door opens and a flash comes at me in a nanosecond and practically tackles me in the bed. Her hands are everywhere checking me out. I tried to grab them but they're moving too fast.

"Alice. I'm okay. I swear." I announced. I was ignored.

Once she's satisfied that I'm okay, Alice wraps her arms around me and squeezes me, a little too tight.

"Don't ever do that again!" She growled.

"Okay. Let's hope I don't have to go through another war. It wasn't the most fun I had."

"Tell us what happened." She demanded.

I was taken aback by her blatant attitude. I have a feeling that they may have an idea of what happened but are waiting for me to tell them.

"Um. I went there, wondered around some and found the, ah, man with the journal and came back." I replied.

I looked from Alice to Tanya and can tell they're waiting for me to tell them the rest. They sit there, like statues, staring at me. As a matter of fact, I don't hear anything move in the house. It's a little unnerving.

"That's all?" Alice asked not convinced at all.

"I may have had some help while I was there." I hedged.

Still no one moved a muscle. I swallowed loudly and fidgeted a bit waiting for someone to do something, anything.

Nothing.

"We can smell her on you. And…someone else." Alice whispered.

I bit my lip and guessed whom she was referring to.

Damn vampires and their great sense of smell.

"Okay. Fine. You didn't know where everyone was when you said that they weren't there during the war, did you?" I asked looking right at Tanya.

She blinked, once, twice. "No. I didn't." She answered.

"She was pretty miffed that I was about to storm the battlefield. She thought I was trying to kill myself." I answered.

"What did she do?" Another voice asked from the doorway. It was Kate.

I looked over and saw that she wasn't alone. It seemed everyone was crowding the hallway to listen to my story.  
"She helped me over the field and tried to find the man with the journal." I replied.

"Abby."

I look at Alice and see the reprimand in her eyes. Both, her and Tanya's eyes are darkening with each passing minute.

"Why did you keep saying it wasn't her fault and she didn't mean it?" Kate asked her arms crossed.

Damn me and my sleep talking!

I grit my teeth and look away from everyone trying to get my temper under control. Tanya takes my face in her hand and makes me face her.

"What did Irina do?" She gritted out between clenched teeth.

"Nothing serious." I answered.

"Abigail. So help me…" Tanya growled.

"You have to realize that it wasn't a good place to be, especially for a vampire. There were bodies everywhere. I didn't realize how much it was affecting her until…" I drifted out.

"Until what?" Alice growled out.

"Until I cut my hand."

That was the tipping point. Every vampire either let a loud growl or hissed Irina's name. It was loud enough that it woke Jamie up.

I hear his door open and he runs out trying to see what the noise is and runs right into Emmett. It knocks him back into his room. Emmett is there to stop him from falling.

"What the hell? Jesus!" He shouts. "Ow!"

"You okay kid?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah. What the hell is going on?" He asked.

"Abby's awake and regaling us with her story. Sorry to wake you." Emmett answered.

"Chief!" Jamie yells from his room.

"Right here." I announced looking at Tanya then Alice.

They are so wound up that the slightest movement could set them off. I grab both of their hands and squeeze, trying to reassure them that Irina didn't do any harm. Jamie walks in the room and turns the light on. I immediately shut my eyes. It feels like someone is sticking daggers in them.

"Lights. Bright lights." I muttered.

Someone flips the switch and I blink away the spots that now plague my eyes.

"Sorry." Jamie muttered.

"It's okay."

"Okay, back to the story. How did Irina stop attacking you?" Alice growled. I've never seen her this upset before.

"Dmitri stopped her and forced her to go hunt." I replied.

"What?"  
"Who?"

Everyone is shouting one word or the other.

Tanya forced me to look at her. "What did you say?" she asked.

"Dmitri stopped her and forced her to go hunt." I repeated.

There was more growling and hissing.

Okay! I thought they would be happy that she was stopped before she bit me. Apparently not.

"Who's Dmitri?" Jamie asked confused.

"What did he look like?" Tanya gritted out.

"Tall, lean, short dirty blonde hair. Creepy red eyes."

More growling and hissing ensued.

"Abby." Carlisle asked as he walked back into the room, "Was he wearing a dark gray cloak?"

I sat there staring at him, trying to remember what Dmitri was wearing.

"Abby?" Alice asked.

"Uh. No. If I didn't know he was a vampire, I would have thought he was from that time period. He handed me the journal." I replied.

"He gave you the journal?" Carlisle asked for confirmation.

"Yeah. He said that my mother told him to go there and that he owes her for saving his life on countless occasions."

There was silence then as everyone took in the news.

"Why are you guys all freaking out about this?" I asked.

"Abby." Alice said, "He works for the Volturi."

"Okay." Not getting the tension spreading through the house.

"He works for Aro." She whispered.

A name I won't ever forget.

I blink trying to get moisture into my eyes and trying to form a connection between Aro and Dmitri. It takes me a few minutes to connect the dots. When I do, my jaw drops.

Dmitri works for Aro.

Aro is the man that forced my mother into hiding and now she can't find her way back.

Dmitri works for Aro.

Oh. Fuck me!


	43. Chapter 43

**Want to apologize for taking so long to update. Guess that happens when you have one health issue after another, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel getting brighter. I do have a question for all you and that is; should I end this story and start a new one following Abby on her quest to free her mother? Or, should I continue on with this story? Not sure what to do. Thanks for being so patient and enjoy.**

Chapter 42

I sat there dumbfounded. I was looking at Tanya but I couldn't see her. I was too busy seeing myself talking to Dmitri on that battlefield. He didn't seem all that threatening. He was almost civil towards me.

"He's not always that way, Abby." Edward interrupted my thoughts.

I looked over at him, not really seeing him but a different vampire.

I couldn't understand why he was there to help me and yet, stand at the side of the person who forced my mother away.

Was he a spy for them? Or, a spy for us?

Did I put my mother's life in danger…more danger?

Alice snapping her fingers in front of me brought me back to the present.

"Wha?" I asked dazed.

"I said, that's not the most important think right now." Alice repeated herself.

"How is that not the most important thing right now?" I asked, the panic just under the surface waiting to blow over.

"Because your brothers knows what's going on?" She announced.

It was so quiet in the room you could hear a cricket chirping a mile away.

"You told my brothers…what, about you or me or both?" I asked.

"Both. Don't worry about them. I kinda got them drunk when we talked to them." Alice admitted smiling at her idea.

"Okay. And, that's supposed to help how?" I asked.

"When they wake up their going to think they were dreaming the conversation. That will give us plenty of time to think of something to tell them in the mean time." Alice said, her smile getting bigger.

"That's not going to stop them. They're going to figure it out and then what are we going to do?" I asked, panic starting to rise.

My heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest while my breathing became labored. Just as it came, the panic disappeared. Thank you Jasper!

"Let's not worry about that right now. You need to rest." Esme said as she stepped forward with a worried look.

"It's kinda hard not to worry about what they're going to do. They're relentless when they want something. Not to mention, they'll use any means they can to get what they want." I explained.

"Don't worry about it Abby, I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out." Alice assured me.

I only looked at her. Before I can reply back to her, I gave a huge yawn that almost dislocated my jaw. At least, it felt like it did. That was the cue for everyone to leave.

I stayed where I was thinking about what Alice was planning and hoping she could calm them down before I have to confront them myself. Tanya didn't move either. She didn't even take her eyes off me as I chewed the inside of my mouth.

It was when I yawned again; Tanya came out of her own musings and lowered me down onto the bed. I didn't put a fight either.

Pulling the blankets up to my chin, I pulled my arms out and put them under my head. I crossed my ankles and just mulled over what just transpired.

What am I going to do with my brothers?

Who is Dmitri and how does he fit into all this?

Before I can think of anything else, Tanya was there.

"Love, you need to sleep."

"Can't sleep. Too much on my mind." I said staring up at the ceiling.

"Abigail." Tanya said.

"Hmm." I replied.

"Abby."

"Yeah."

After I didn't respond the way she wanted me too, Tanya turned my head towards her.

"Please try not to worry too much, Sweetie. Alice knows what she's doing." She pleaded.

"It's hard not to." I whispered.

I've never had anyone to help me with my problems before. Of course Josie and William tried, but they only did so much. They never knew how hard it was to really trust them.

"I know, but try, please."

I nod.

Turning to my side, away from Tanya, I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes. I felt Tanya wrap her arms around me and start humming a slow tune. I was out within minutes.

When I woke the next morning or afternoon, I think, I found myself in another room. What the hell!

After looking around, I saw that I was in Alice's room. When did this happen?

Lying back down, I started my routine stretching. I felt like I had hardly any sleep at all. My muscles ached and my eyes still stung. Deciding its too early to get up, I turned on my side and tried to go back to sleep. I'll worry about why I'm back in the mountains later.

Just as I'm about to fall asleep, I feel the bed dip and cool breath hit my face. The scent is familiar. I burrow into the bed and mumble something incoherent to Tanya.

She only chuckles.

We lie there for a few minutes before she starts talking.

"Aren't you wondering why you're here?" she asked.

"Mmph." I answered as I buried my head into the pillow and pulled the blanket up to my face covering my eyes to block out the bright sun.

"Sweetheart, you've been asleep for almost twelve hours." She chuckled as she took my chin and raised my head to look at her.

"Is that why I feel like poo?" I asked, my voice grainy again.

"Probably. That and you did storm No Man's Land." She added.

Her smile faltered a little, but it was so quick I almost didn't see it.

"That's why." I replied sarcastically. "I guess I was pretty out of it coming up here, wasn't I?"

"Yes. You were. Jasper didn't even help out there either." She added.

"Okay. So, why are we here?" I finally asked.

"To slow down your brothers. It'll take them a couple more hours to get here."

"And, what are we gonna do when they get here?" I asked, apprehension creepy back in.

"Talk to them of course." She said, matter of fact.

"Oh. That should go over great."

Is there anywhere I can hide until they leave? I hope so.

"Edward said no." Tanya replied.

I groaned. I do not want to face my brothers. They could make police interrogations look like a warm fuzzy conversation.

"Don't you think it's time to get up?" Tanya asked, stroking my hair and then cupping my cheek.

"No. Too comfy." I replied. I burrowed myself into the bed to prove my point.

"Okay, but I must remind you why we have beds." Tanya smiled and then leaned over to kiss me.

I totally forgot what she said. It wasn't until she pulled away that what she said computed.

"Ugh. Cooties." I grumbled as I rolled out of the bed and shook off the invisible germs. Tanya laughed as she followed my out of the bed.

I opened the door and almost ran into Alice, who was scowling at me.

"I do not have cooties. Neither does Jasper." She huffed.

"How would you know?" I mumbled stopping at the stairs.

Do I go down and get some much need food or the bathroom. I turn to go down but stopped and headed for the bathroom. Both girls chuckling at my indecision.

Once I was done doing my business and washing my hands, I kept glancing to the shower and couldn't decide if I should just go ahead take one now or wait till after I eat.

"Just take one already, Abby." Alice yelled from the other side of the door.

"Okay. Geez! What's got your panties in a bunch?" I mumbled walking over to the shower and turning it on.

I practically moaned when I stepped in and let the warm, almost hot, water hit me. I stood under the spray letting my muscles loosen up. It seemed like, now that I was fully awake, my body let me know exactly what it felt. My back constantly ached and it was difficult bending over.

My legs felt like jell-o and didn't like the effort it took for me to undress and get into the shower. I can see bruises on both arms from where Irina stopped me from going out onto the battlefield and then throwing me around like a rag doll. I'm sure I'm going to hear an ear load from everyone when they see those. I guess that could explain Alice's bad mood.

Just as I was cleaning my face and neck, the shower door opened and closed. I wondered why it took her so long to join me. I expected Tanya to be in here starting the shower herself and, probably, helping me undress.

When she didn't wrap her arms around me I looked back and saw a statue staring back at me. This isn't good.

"I look that bad?" I asked teasingly. At least, I thought it was funny.

She only stared back, her eyes going dark by the second.

"Tanya?" I asked, getting worried.

She shook her head and blinked a couple times. "Sorry. I didn't know how bad your back looked until now."

"Guess that explains why it hurts." I replied.

"Carlisle wants you to take it easy for a couple days."

"That won't be a problem." I said.

I flinched when she ran her hand across my lower back.

"Is it that bad?" She asked, the worry evident in her voice and face.

"A little. That and your hands are a little cold." I replied.

The warm, almost hot, water felt good but when Tanya ran her cool hand over my skin it gave me a shock more than anything else.

The shower ended up taking more time after Tanya came in. She decided she needed to clean every inch of me and I mean every inch. I tried at first to stop her, but she was a woman on a mission. Once she ran her hands over my breasts, I quit fighting, much to her amusement.

Once we were out and in clean clothes, I went on the hunt for food. My stomach made itself clear more than once that I was neglecting it.

Walking into the kitchen we found Esme and Jamie cooking and eating. Whatever it was, I wasn't complaining. It smelled good and I couldn't sit down fast enough to start.

"Look who decided to make her presence known." Jamie said smirking.

"Did you miss me?" I asked, giving him a smirk of my own.

"Nope. Not in the least. As a matter of fact, I went about my day as if nothing was amiss." He said with an air of boredom.

"Don't believe him for a moment Abby. We practically had to carry him away from the door to check on you for the hundredth time. Jasper finally got tired of him going upstairs that he made him fall asleep." Esme said adding more food to my plate.

"Ah. You did miss me." I gushed giving his cheek a squeeze. He batted it away, not before the blush overtook him.

"Yeah. Whatever." He mumbled.

We all laughed.

"So, how long do I have to wait for the interrogators to get here?" I asked finishing off my plate.

"They should be here within the hour." Esme answered.

I nodded. Thinking about facing them made my blood pressure rise and not from anger either.

"It's going to be okay, Abby." Jamie admitted, yet he didn't sound convincing either. He knows how they can be and would rather poke his own eyes out than deal with them.

"Yeah, sure it will." I half-heartedly replied.

"Come. Let's go for a walk to calm you down." Tanya said taking my hand and dragging my off the stool.

We walked out of the house and away from the driveway. There was a small trail the lead off to the left of the house that Tanya took. She slowed down when she saw how much effort it took for me to walk. It was a calm cool day with the temperature in the mid seventies. I can hear the birds chirping in the distance, but as we were walking along the trail, nature seemed to sense that something unnatural was coming and took cover.

We walked for about twenty minutes before Tanya stopped at a downed tree. I sat down, after I checked for any creepy crawlies. Tanya handed me a water bottle and I downed half of it before putting the lid back on.

Tanya took a seat next to me and took my hand in hers and started rubbing circles on the back.

"Why are you so worried about your brothers, Abigail?" Tanya asked, almost whispered.

"Their motto is pretty much, 'act first and ask questions later'. It's gotten them in a lot of…situations where I had to explain what was happening when there was a misunderstanding. I'm pretty sure this may be one of those times." I replied watching her hand and mine.

"I can understand why they would act that way. They only have your best interest at heart, Abigail. Does both brothers know about Thomas?" she asked, her tone taking on a dark note.

"No. Only Josie knows. If William found out, I'm pretty sure he'll be in prison for murder. He wouldn't care if it were his own brother or not. He's the hot head of the two. But, I think he suspects something is up. He sees how I act around Thomas and how he acts around me. It's only a matter of time before he puts two and two together. Then, God help whatever happens next." I replied, shuddering at that last thought.

"I'm sure he'll won't go to that extreme." Tanya replied.

I went to say something back but stopped when I looked up. The sun had broken through the trees and shone right on Tanya. My breath caught in my throat and I was speechless.

Her skin seemed to come alive. I squinted as I looked at her face. Her skin seemed to glitter as the sun hit it. I ran my hand across her face to see if I can touch whatever was creating this glitter effect.

When I couldn't figure that out, I took hold her hand, still in mine, and flipped it over. I leaned over to examine it more closely. Running a finger over the backside, I was fascinated by the effect the sun had on her.

"Do I look like a freak now?" she whispered afraid of my answer.

"No. You look…" I stopped.

She raised a brow waiting for me to finish.

"Pretty damn sexy this way. I didn't know this happened to you guys in the Sun." I admitted.

"What did you think happened?" She asked tilting her head to the side.

I pressed my lips together, embarrassed by my answer. "That you guys turned into a charred piece of…." I drifted off when she started chuckling.

The chuckling turned into a full out, stomach rolling laugh.

"Sorry, Love, but I've heard that way too many times. " She chortled.

"Sorry, but no one told me why you guys stayed out of the sun. It's pretty dang impressive though." I replied.

Still chuckling, Tanya stood and pulled me up with her and started making our way back to the house. When we reached the clearing, my brother's truck drove up the driveway and stopped about thirty feet from us.

Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were standing a few feet away from the truck as both boys got out and made their way to me. I took a deep breath waiting for the interrogation to start.

I took two steps towards them when I heard Alice's eyes glaze over and then her shrieking NO to no one and everyone.

Gunshots rang out and I froze as bullets ricocheted everywhere. Tanya and Rosalie were on me in an instant covering me.

It seemed like the chaos lasted for a lifetime and an instant. When the shots stopped, you can almost hear a pin drop and that lasted for about a second when another sound rang out.

An agonizing scream.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 43

I felt like I was back in 1916 in France. My heart was somewhere up in my throat. The two women over me were growling so loud it almost drowned out the gunfire.

When the bullets stopped flying, I tried to move but they wouldn't let me.

Someone screamed and it was an agonizing one. I froze because I knew who it was. Looking over at my brothers, Will was leaning over Josie, his hands on Josie's chest trying to stop the flow of blood.

I froze as I watched the others trying to help Will, but I knew it was too late. William's cries were heart wrenching. I couldn't process what this meant and I didn't want to know either.

Rosalie blurred over to help Carlisle trying to revive Josie, their hands a blur of activity.

Tanya didn't leave my side when Alice slowly walked over to me. I didn't know I had a knick on my face until Tanya used a piece of her shirt to wipe the blood off. Apparently, a bullet ricocheted and grazed my cheek. But, I was too focused on what was taking place not thirty feet in front of me.

I have never seen William cry like he is now. I didn't know if he knew how to cry. He was always the stoic one. When our grandparents died, less than a year apart each other, William was the only one who kept it together. Whether he mourned in private I wouldn't know.

Watching him now gutted me.

Alice forced me to look at her. She was saying something but I couldn't hear her. I kept trying to look at William. Finally, Alice turned me away from the scene and shook me a couple times to bring me back to reality.

It seemed like someone turned the volume up on the television because everything and everyone seemed to be shouting at once.

"Abby! I'm so sorry! It's not your fault. It's all on me." Alice pleaded.

What is she talking about? It is my fault. They wouldn't be here if I wasn't. I stared at her in disbelief. How can it not be my fault?

Thomas was right again. Everyone I love goes away. Josie is another casualty. When will it end? After everyone I love and care for dies?

NO!

I'm not going to let that happen.

"Don't." Alice whispered grabbing my arms.

Knowing before I finished my thought, I looked down at her. She was shaking her head no. I looked around and found everyone, either looking at William or me; I settled my eyes on William. His tear stained eyes were begging me to come to him. I couldn't.

Instead, I pulled away from her and backed up. I couldn't be here. I had to go…anywhere but here.

Looking around one last time I stopped at Tanya, her eyes locked onto mine. She knows what I'm about to do and the look she's giving me tells me all I need to know. Don't do it.

"Sorry." I muttered and thinking about where I want to go, I disappeared.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was in my old backyard. The one where I threw the ball over the fence and had to go get, which turned out to be my first encounter with my great aunt, Alice.

I sat down and wrapped my arms around my knees and started rocking back and forth. I heard momma call out to the younger me to stay in the living room while she went out back for a minute.

I heard the door open and close.

"Abby. What's wrong?" I heard her say. Her voice sounded strained.

I know I shouldn't be here, but I had nowhere else to go. I needed the comfort of a mother.

"Abby, please tell me what happened."

She placed her hand on my head and started rubbing it.

"Sorry. I know I'm not supposed to be here, but I couldn't help it." I sobbed into my knees, not looking at her.

"It's okay. Just tell me what happened, darling."

"Josie's dead." I mumbled.

"Tell my what happened, Abby." She said, her voice taking on a commanding tone.

"Someone shot him." I mumbled.

"Who?"

"No idea. Why does everyone go away?" I asked.

I look up and see that she's closed her eyes. I wait while she composes herself. Still rocking, I look at the house and see myself looking out the back window. She seemed so innocent and happy. I don't recognize that little girl anymore.

"Abby, how many journals have you found?"

"Two." I mumbled.

"Okay, Honey. Find the third journal. Once you find it, you'll be able to find me. Once you do, I'll take care of everything else."

"The deal is void anyways. Someone's been after me for the last few years." I announce.

She was silent. I could see the fire burning in her eyes and I shivered. Not something I want to see again. God help those who get on her bad side.

"Find the journal Abby. And, don't leave Alice's side." It was a warning.

"Why? I don't want anything to happen to her or anyone else. I caused enough people to die. I don't want anyone else to because of me." I sobbed.

"Abby, baby. I know you're hurting, but you have to find the last journal. Once you do, you'll be able to find me. I promise, I'll fix all this. Just find the journal." She pleaded.

She took my face in both of her hands and wiped the tears away.

"Abby, I know you've been through a lot the last few years. But get the last journal and I promise, I'll fix everything. Okay, baby?"

I only nod. I'm not sure if I fully believe her or not. It's been so long since we actually talked. I'm pretty sure it's as awkward to her as it is to me.

Momma helped me up and hugged me. This is so different from the last time I saw her. She didn't even look at me that time.

"You're almost there kiddo. I know you can do. Just trust yourself and believe that you can do it. And, don't leave Alice's side. She'll help you." She reiterated that last part.

I wasn't sure I wanted Alice's help. I'm not mad at her about what happened with Josie. She told me once that she couldn't see the shifters. I just don't want to put her in any more danger than I already have.

"And, Abby." Momma said.

"Yeah." I said as I turned around. I was heading to the gate to leave.

"Why don't you see what you can do with your…gift. It might surprise you what you can do."

"Okay." I said with a raised eyebrow. Looking back at the house, I see myself waving out the window. I gave her a small wave back.

I went through the gate and latched it back. I heard Momma open the door and heard myself ask her who I was. She said I was an old friend that needed help.

Talk about a weird situation. For some reason, I remember this.

I stood there and thought about where I wanted to go. I didn't want to go back to the Cullen's house. I can't deal with that right now. I think Jamie's house is out of the question too. That left one place.

"Take me to my house." I whispered.

I reappeared in my living room. It hasn't changed from the last time I was here. The photo Alice brought down was still sitting on the coffee table. I had no idea what to do now. I stood there for while just listening to the silence. It was suffocating.

I don't know how long I stood there, but it was dark when I finally decided what I wanted to do. I just hope it works. Mom did say for me to see what I can do. I just hope it doesn't disrupt some time continuum or something. I should have watched more sci-fi movies growing up.

I take a deep breath and whispered, "take me back to The Battle of the Somme 1916."

I close my eyes as the pull takes hold.

When I stop moving, I open them up and see that I am indeed back in the Battle. The problem is that I don't know if I'm back before Irina came or after she left. I make my way to the forest nearby and wait there until I see her again.

I orient myself and see that I'm in the heat of the fight, so it must mean that Irina has left me on the battlefield. I look around and don't see myself anywhere.

Standing there and watching what was taking place, I never saw how intense the fighting really was. Bullets flying everywhere and canons going off every second, it seemed. The ground would shake when a particularly loud canon was shot. I bet if Josie and Will were here, they could tell me what caliber these canons were firing.

As soon as I thought that, I stopped myself. I could never see Josie again, unless it was a memory of my own. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat.

I wiped the tears as they threatened to fall and blinked several times to make sure I wouldn't cry here. Now, was not the time for that.

I jumped when a hand tapped my shoulder.

I let out a little squeak and wheeled around ready to hit whoever it was behind me. As I raised my hand, someone grabbed it midair.

"Jesus Irina! You scared the crap outta me." I shouted.

"Sorry." She replied.

I knew immediately at first glance, it was after she tried to attack me. The look on her face told me all I needed to know.

"I am so sorry Abby. Please forgive me." Irina pleaded.

Her eyes were back to their normal gold color.

"It's okay, Irina. I'm not mad. I get it." I replied.

She looked my over and then looked at my face and stared at the nick on my cheek.

"What happened?" She demanded.

"It's a long story. I don't have much time. I came back to tell you something." I answered.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure what happened but there will come a time in the future…" I started.

I stopped because I didn't really think of how to tell her that she's no longer around and I really don't know what happened for this to happen. No one talked about it.

"Go on." Irina offered.

I took a deep breath and continued, "There will come a time when you make a rash decision that will set off a very large problem. I just want you to stop and think about it before making a knee jerk reaction." I rattled off.

"What happened?" she asked concerned.

"I don't know but whatever you did, it didn't bode well for everyone." I hedged.

"What do you mean Abby?" She asked getting more upset.

"I can't say but just promise me you'll take time to think your decisions through, okay?" I pleaded.

It was vague of me to tell her and I'm not sure what I can tell and not give anything away.

"You really can't tell me can you?"

"I'm not sure what to tell you. I could be breaking all sorts of laws for all I know." I replied.

"Does it have something to do with my family?" She asked, the worried look coming back.

"Yes! It does, but it also has to do with a lot more people too." I replied.

She slowly nodded.

"Can you give me a time frame?"

"Um. Sometime between now and sometime in the…future." I replied grimacing.

"That's not a very good answer."

"I know. It's that best I can do." I shrugged.

"Okay. Is there anything else you want me to know?" She nodded.

"Yeah. When the time comes, take care of Tanya. You'll know why." I replied. I pulled out a slip of paper and wrote an address down.

"You may be able to find her, but she'll be at this address if she's not at home…or somewhere else." I hedged again.

No one ever told me when the Cullen's and Denali's met so I have no idea how long they've known one another.

She looked at me again and realization struck her. She nodded.

"You're running away aren't you?"

"Yes. No. Maybe." I replied.

I have no idea what I'm going to do after this. I'm just taking life as it comes at me. Which has been my motto recently.

"Okay. But, you do realize how hard it is to stay away from your mate, don't you?"

"It's better this way." I replied.

"You just lost someone." It wasn't a question but a statement.

It wasn't a question. I'm amazed at how perceptive she is.

"Yes. And, I don't want to lose anyone else I love either. That includes Tanya." I exclaimed.

"Okay. Take care of yourself Abby and try to stay out of trouble."

She pulled me into a hug that about crushed me.

I nodded.

"See ya around." I said as I waved at her.

I closed my eyes and silently told myself to go back to my house.

Alice's POV

I stood there, rooted to the spot. I can't believe she left.

I closed my eyes and focused on when she'll be back.

Nothing!

This can't be. I feel so horrible with myself. How did I not see this outcome?

"Alice." Jasper whispered.

"I can't see her." I muttered.

"It's going to be okay." He took me into his chest and hugged me.

"Did you guys find anything out?" Carlisle asked quietly.

Esme and Carmen took William into the house to calm him down. First, losing his brother and then seeing his sister disappear before his eyes, he was pretty rattled. Edward had laid a blanket over Josiah's body and we were waiting for a medical examiner and the sheriff's officers to arrive.

"It was the dogs. Their stench was everywhere. There were also shell casings all over the place." Jasper answered.

He, Emmett, Kate and Garrett went after the culprits as soon as the shooting started. They barely missed the wolves. Emmett and Garrett was all for going after them, but Kate and Jasper stopped them.

I looked over at Tanya to see how she was doing. She hasn't left her spot after Abby left. Eleazer was by her side trying to console her. I can see that it's not working too well.

"What are we going to say to the sheriff's officers when they get here?" Emmett asked looking down at the body.

I'm surprised that no one was affected by the smell of blood. I really didn't notice it myself.

"We'll tell them that Will and Josiah are family friends that came to visit and just as they arrived the shooting started. We came to help when the shooting stopped and couldn't see who was doing the shooting." Carlisle explained.

Everyone out there looked at me for confirmation. I closed my eyes again and saw that it will work. I nodded.

"We shouldn't tell them about Abby. They would want a statement from her and no one knows where she is right now." Kate spoke up.

We all looked at Tanya who still hasn't moved.

"Agreed." Carlisle said.

No one moved or spoke for two minutes. It was a car that snapped everyone out of his or her thoughts. Kate went to Tanya's side to console her. Everyone else gathered together as the car pulled up the long driveway.

It wasn't long before the car stopped and the driver stepped out. Why didn't I see this coming? I'm really losing it.

"Whoa!" Emmett muttered.

All eyes were on the new person. No one spoke or moved. We were all shocked at the sight before us. As the person walked up to us, we parted and just stared at her.

"Can someone please tell me what's happening?" She announced to everyone. "And, where are my sisters?"

Everyone looked at Kate and Tanya as they just stared at her, shock and disbelief in their eyes.

Irina ran to them and stopped a foot away when Kate held up her hand, as a warning. No one could believe she was here. I saw a vision of her burning in a field in Washington and everyone was there to witness it first hand.

How can this be?  
"Irina?" Tanya whispered.

She unfroze and walked up to Irina and placed her hands on Irina's face to feel her.

"Irina!" Carmen shouted from the house and blurred to her side to see for herself that her coven mate was here.

That was everyone's cue to come forward and ask how this was. As I walked over I heard a whisper and looked to my left.

Thirty yards away was Abby. She looked ragged and drained. When she looked at me, she started backing up and gave me a small wave then disappeared. No one saw and only Edward knew she was here too.

Looking his way, he only gave me the smallest of nods letting me know he saw too. I think my heart crumbled knowing Abby was this close and didn't come to me. I'm going to have to look extra hard to see when she'll be back and try to stop her, at least, to see what she's doing. I am her mentor and I need to start acting like one.

Bringing my attention back to the present and I heard Irina explain what happened.

"It was the strangest thing." She started.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 44

When I get back to my house, I decide to go and see if Irina listened to me. I go back to the Cullen's house just after the gunfight, if you want to call it that.

William is nowhere in sight. Someone covered Josie's body. I'm about a hundred feet away, downwind. I don't want anyone see me, hear my heartbeat or me or smell me.

It wasn't long before a car drives up the long driveway. I crane my head around a large tree and watch as Irina steps out of the car and see that everyone is completely dumbfounded. Everyone outside steps back from Irina as she looks around for her sisters.

I have to lean around the tree more to see Tanya. She hasn't moved from her spot when I left the first time, even Kate can't get her to move. It's only when they both see and hear Irina that Tanya comes back to herself and turns towards around. She places her hand on Irina's face to see if she's real.

Looking back at the others I see Alice glance this way and I hide back behind the tree. I hear Carmen yell from the house Irina's name and I look around again to see her standing in front of the sisters. She's overjoyed!

It worked!

I can't believe it.

If I can do this, what else can I do?

I know what I'm going to do. I'm going back to stop Josie and hopefully he'll live.

I go back to my house and plan on paying my big brother a visit. I've never made this many jumps in one day before and wonder how it's affecting my body. I'll worry about that later. Now, I have to stop a train before the wreck…so to speak.

I decide to visit him this morning before he and Will drive out to the Cullen's house. He's normally an early riser and up before the chickens, but when I get to his house, he's still asleep. I guess Alice's idea of getting the guys drunk worked.

He's clothes are still on and it looks like he's just fell across the bed before passing out.

I don't have long to wait because his phone is ringing and causes him to stir. After the first few rings it goes silent and starts ringing again. I'm guessing its Will trying to wake him up. Apparently, he got over his hangover faster than Josie did.

After the phone rings for a few more minutes, Josie finally answers and mumbles an answer before hanging up.

I'm standing by the door and stare at my brother who dies just few hours from now. I can't let that happen.

This has to work!

Josie turns over and stares at me. He's eyes are bloodshot and his hair is a mess. He sits up and sways a little. The liquor Alice gave him and Will must have been a good one. I've only seen him this way a handful of times.

"What are you doing here, Abby?" He asked, his voice gravelly.

I only stare at him. It's hard to see him now that I've seen blood pouring out his body.

"Abby!" Josie said, looking at me to answer his question.

Shaking my head I take a step forward and start talking, praying I don't break down.

"You can't come looking for me today." I state with what little confidence I have left.

"Why?" He asks, confusion and interest forming on his face.

I hesitate, "do you remember what Alice told you last night?"

"A little."

"What part do you remember?"

He takes a breath. "That her and her family are vampires and that you can travel in time."

"So, you remember everything then?" I nod.

"Yeah."

It's quiet for a few minutes while we both digest what was said.

"So, why are you here?"

"To stop you from coming to see me." I state.

"Why?"

"Because something bad happens and I'm trying to stop it from happening."

"What happens?"

"I can't say exactly but you and Will can't come find me and talk. I'll come by later and see both of you." I state with as much conviction as I can.

"What happens Abby?" His anger starts to take over.

"I can't tell you, but you have to believe me. Don't come."

"Are you talking to me in the past or in real life?"

"In the past."

"I see," He nods.

Then he takes a good look at me and realizes the state I am in. I must look like a mess.

"It's that bad, huh?"

"Yes."

He nods accepting what's about to happen to him.

"But. If you stay here and listen to me, it could be different." I say with as much fervor I can muster.

He stares at his hands for a long time.

"Here's the thing Abby." He said, looking up at me. "I knew this day was coming. I've prepared myself for this. It's not something I want to happen but it has to and you have to carry on."

I'm stunned by his admission.

"What do you mean, you were expecting this?" I demanded.

"When your mom gave me that note, she told me other stuff too. One, being that I would die trying to protect you."  
"You weren't protecting me when this happened." I stated.

"I think I am. When you look back on this day, you will see that I did."

I step back from him, reeling with this news. If it hadn't been for the doorframe, I would be sitting down.

"Abby."

"What?"

"It has to be this way. You know I've always been there for you and I'll always be there when I'm gone too. It's not the end, just a 'see ya later' kinda deal."

"I don't want it to be a 'see ya later'." I mumble.

The thought of never seeing or hearing him again is too much. I stagger to me feet and walk out the room. He tries to stop me but I ignore him. I mumble to myself and come back to the present in my old house.

I go to sit on the couch but end up on the floor between the couch and coffee table. Lying on my back, I cover my eyes with my left arm and think about what Josie said.

What did he mean by it was meant to happen this way and that he was trying to protect me?

With everything that happened today and the four times I went back, I'm exhausted.

I fall asleep that way and it wasn't until something woke me up that I realized I'm still in my house and on the floor.

Sitting up, I nearly jumped out of my skin when I see someone sitting on the couch above me.

"Jesus!" I yelled.

"Good morning Abby." Alice said.

It wasn't her usual happy greeting that I'm used to.

"What are you doing here?" I asked trying to get off the floor and failing. Lying back down I look up at Alice and wait for her to answer.

"Waiting for you to wake up." She answered.

"And?"

"To talk you out of your plans."

"How do you know my plans when I don't know them?"  
"It doesn't take a scientist to know what you're going to do."

"What am I going to do? Really?" I asked.

"You're going to try to save Josiah like you did Irina."

"I'm assuming it didn't work yesterday."

"No."

I lay there taking that information in.

He didn't listen after all.

"Abby. You can't save everyone. That's not how it works."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Find that last journal and get your mom back."

"Then what? What am I going to do after she comes back?"

Alice didn't answer because she didn't have one.

"You need to talk to Tanya." She said after a bit.

"I know."

"She's upset."

"I know."

"Abby."

"What?"

"Quit deciding to run away. You know I'll find you."

"It's the only way. I'm not letting anyone else I love die." I stated.

"Your mother made me promise her to look after you. I'm not breaking that promise."

"I know. But, I'm not going to hang around and see anyone else in my life disappear. I'm done. I can't handle it anymore." Hurt and despair lacing my voice.

I sit up and go to stand up but Alice is there stopping me.

"I know you're hurting and you have every right to. I'm not saying that, Abby. I'm saying you can't run away and ignore all this."

"I'm not going to ignore it. I'm going to learn everything I can about this 'gift' and then find that last journal. After that, my mother can deal with everything else."

I push her hands off me and stand up. I'm still in the same clothes I wore yesterday. I don't care about that. I don't care about anything anymore.

It's easy this way. If I separate myself from everyone then I can concentrate about this task. Once it's over, I'm going to tell my mother a simple request and pray she'll honor it.

I walk over to the counter separating the kitchen from the dining room and take out my ID holder. I place that and anything else in my pockets that would identify me, that includes my library cards and school ID.

Alice hands me a small journal with a pen and my bag. I give her a small smile and take them. Emptying out the bag I place the items in there along with a couple bottles of water.

If I get hungry, I'll come back and grab a bite. I'll also come back to change and wash up. I probably won't have much time here as it is and would need to find another home or, at least, a place to sleep and change. I won't need anything too big.

After I pack, Alice grabs me and gives me a tight hug. She knew she can't change my mind. I made it up when I couldn't change Josie's decision.

"Come back when you can. You know I'll be here for you, along with my family. And, I know Tanya won't leave until you're with her again."

"Okay. Tell her and William, cause I know he'll come look for me that I'll come back and talk to them when I can. I'm sorry I can see either of them right now."

I don't say any more because I know if I did then I'll break down. My lower lip is quivering as it is. It may sound like I'm a coward and I really don't care right now, but I have to get away and think things over.

"Remember that I will always be there for you, whether it's in the present or the past. You just have to find me."

"Okay."

With that, I close my eyes and disappear. I didn't pick a destination like I normally do. I'm just going to see where I end up and pray I know what the date is.


	46. Chapter 46

Part 2 Learning

Chapter 45

I look around and see that I'm in a forest. I immediately hope there's not a war going on and that I'm about to die.

Looking around quickly, I see that there is nothing, human or otherwise. Taking a deep sigh, I walk a ways to see if anything stands out. Nothing does.

Walking through the bushes and low branches proves to be difficult. My clothes get caught and I hear a tear on my right leg.

Great!

This is proving to be harder than I thought. It takes me the better part of a half hour to get loose from the brush. Once I'm free, I see a well-worn path leading down to a village.

I'm still not sure what time it is or where I'm at but I have the curiosity to look around. I hope my curiosity doesn't get me killed.

It takes me another half hour to walk to the village and as I'm getting closer to it, I see people milling around. Their clothes are simple. The women wear long length gowns. The colors are mostly earth tones. Basic and simple; not much stands out with them. Their hair is all pulled back into a bun or ponytail.

Most of the men are wearing plain pants with leather boots. Their shirts are long sleeved with a couple of buttons near the collar.

It looks like a simple place and as I get closer, the murmuring gets louder.

The village itself is made up of wood houses. I don't see any steel structures or cement sidewalks. This doesn't tell me anything other than the people have never used the aforementioned stuff.

Walking down the street, I notice that it's full of people trying to sell their produce. There are tables selling every vegetable and fruit known to man and some I've never seen before.

And, the smell.

Man! It smells like old socks and dead animals. Not to mention, the poo. Ugh! Good thing I didn't eat or I'd be vomiting up my meal again.

I notice that no one is speaking English. This is going to be interesting if I run into someone I do know. Will they be able to speak English or will it be a game of charades?

Looking at the stalls, I see the women yelling and waving at passersby tying to get their attention. It reminds me of the farmers markets back home. There was one in a small town I visited once where the whole street would be closed off every weekend for people to sell what they grew or made.

I stop at a vendor and look at the berries an elderly lady is selling. She doesn't pay me any attention. Picking through the berries to find a nice plump blackberry, I see a streak of strawberry blonde hair on my right. Looking that way, I see a woman with pale skin and long hair.

Standing up to get a better look at the female, my mouth falls open when I get a good look at her. She hasn't changed…at all.

"Tanya!" I muttered.

That stops her. She turns to see who called her name and I see that she has on a pair of sunglasses.

As she scans the area looking for the person who said her name, I duck down.

I can't believe she's here, wherever, here is.

Looking up, I see her make her way towards me. Great!

I crouch over and make a beeline back the way I came, praying that she doesn't see me. I'm sure; I look like an idiot too.

Before, I was completely oblivious to everyone, now I'm getting looks from everyone I pass by. And, they're making way for me to escape. Not what I want right now.

I hear someone call out and I'm assuming it's me their calling out to. From where I'm at, I know its Tanya; her voice hasn't changed at all either. Part of me wants to stop and see what she wants, the other part doesn't.

I duck behind a stall and hide out hoping she doesn't pick up my scent. Leaning out I look for a familiar body to walk by. After a few minutes with no one recognizable around I stand up and walk back out into the crowd only to run into a cement wall. At least, it feels like it.

Tanya is standing there in front of me. She grabs my waist to keep me from falling over. Once I'm steady, I take a step back from her. She follows my lead and takes a step closer not taking her hands off me.

" _You are beautiful_." She says in a strange language. Kinda sounds like German but maybe an earlier version of it.

She's wearing a long velour gown. Expensive. It's a dark blue, almost black with jewels that highlight her pale skin and hair. I'm completely enamored by her. This is so messed up. I leave her to keep her safe and the first place I jump to is an earlier version of her. Not fair!

"Um. I have no idea what you're saying." I admit trying to take another step back and walk into the wall.

"Omph!" I breathed out.

I'm trapped…again. This feels a lot like déjà vu. Just like the time on Titanic, Tanya walks up and places her hands on both sides of my head. She leans in and sniffs.

What is up with them and smells?

I tilt my head away from her and bump into her arm. This makes it perfect for her to put her face to my neck and start inhaling.

Oh crap! What am I going to do and how am I going to get away from her?

"Uh. Tanya could you please step back, you're kinda giving me the creeps." I say as I place my hands on her shoulders and push. It doesn't do any good. I don't budge her one-inch. I do, however, cause her to press herself into me more and I hear the wood behind me start creak. Not good.

Looking into her face I got a close up look at her eyes and realize that they're red. Also, not good.

Apparently, she hasn't found the animal diet yet. I wonder how her control is right now and worry that I could be her next meal.

"Uh. Tanya." I said.

" _So beautiful and you smell good. I can't believe I haven't seen you around here before._ " She replied.

Oh man!

I tried pushing her again without success.

" _Why are you pushing me away?_ "

"Uh. Tanya. Please." I pleaded.

Before I could do anything else two more voices echo from the street.

Kate and Irina!

They're wearing similar gowns. It looks like they didn't have to worry about money even now…or then.

When Tanya turns to them, I take it as my cue to leave. I whisper where I want to go and disappear.

Reappearing in the present, I fall backwards onto the floor. I let out a loud breath and hit my head. Lying there for a moment to catch my breath I close my eyes to get my bearings.

When I open them back up I realize that I'm not back in the house. Looking around I don't recognize anything. I'm pretty sure I said to go home but this isn't home.

Sitting up I get a good look at the living room, it's small with barely any furniture. There's a small sofa with a coffee table. Across from that is a fireplace. I'm staring at a breakfast bar in front of me with two tall stools.

As I stand up to see what the kitchen looks like beyond the breakfast bar, Alice walks out of a room, oblivious to my arrival. Or, she's ignoring me.

"It's about time you showed up. I was beginning to wonder if you would." She exclaimed.

"Where am I Alice?" I asked looking at her.

"Your new home." She answered walking to the kitchen and to the stove to stir something.

"What do you mean, new home?"

"Exactly what I meant by it." She said.

"Alice." I go to argue with her but she cuts me off.

"I'm not arguing you about this, Abby. You are not going to run. You're going to stand up and face this head on." She exclaims waving a wooden spoon around.

"Why?" I asked.

"I just told you. I'm not leaving you. I mean it." I've never seen her this adamant about anything.

"Who all knows about this place?" I asked.

If Will or anyone else from my family knows I'm outta here. I'm not going to face them. I can't right now.

"Just me and…someone else. Well, actually two someone else's." She answered.

"Anyone…"

"No! They don't know, but I think you should talk to Will. He's pretty tore up right now and he wants to know some answers about you."

"I can't right now." I said looking away.

I don't know if I could ever face him. He would probably blame me for Josie's death. I blame myself. How can I not?

Alice is standing in front of me, glaring up at me.

"Don't." She said.

I look away and wipe my eyes in the process.

"Take a shower. You stink!" Was her only reply as she walked back to the stove.

"Fine!"

I walk to the bathroom and turn the water on. It's a small bathroom. Not going to do a lot of moving around in here. It doesn't matter; I'm not going to spend too much time here as it is. Maybe, I can look for something else. Somewhere no one will know.

"You better not, Abby!" Alice yells through the door.

Crap!

Alice and her stupid future seeing sight. I'm going to have to think this out and somehow surprise her. Can that be done?

Once I'm done cleaning and feeling a little better, I step out and realize I didn't bring any clean clothes with me. Taking the towel and wrapping it around me I open the door and walk to the bedroom next door. However, two steps out I freeze. Sitting on the sofa isn't Alice but someone I just left.

Tanya.

She's flipping through a magazine, obviously ignoring me. Nodding my head, I continue to the bedroom to put clothes on. Apparently, she's upset. I would be too if my other half ditches me.

The bedroom is small, like everything else in this place. There's a full size bed with a nightstand and a lamp on top of it. Next to that is a small desk with a chair. There's also a dresser and closet. That's all. A patchwork quilt covers the bed and a rug covering the hardwood floor. Nothing else is in there. It's simple and uncluttered.

Walking to the closet, I pull out a pair of sweat pants and tee shirt. There's a pair of slippers by the bed and I slip those on as well. They're very comfortable. Once I'm dressed I walk back out and face the music for my actions. Whether they were from yesterday or from when I went back, I don't know.

"Your dinner is ready." She said still immersed in her magazine.

I walk to the breakfast bar and see a bowl of stew with homemade bread. I know for a fact, Alice didn't do all this. It doesn't matter I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything in over twenty-four hours.

I let out a grunt when I sit down. The fall I took when I arrived is starting to bother me. My back is getting sore and it's difficult to sit. Tanya is by me in an instant.

"What's wrong?" Concern lacing her voice.

"Nothing." I mumble.

"Abigail. Don't shut me out." It was a command.

Ignoring her, I lift up my spoon and about to take a bite of soup when her hand stops me. I look at her then. I mean, really look at her.

Her hair is unkempt and I see a few knots. There are smudges on her cheeks and a tear in her blouse. It looks like she hunted but her eyes are pitch black. I thought I looked like a mess, but she looks worse than I do.

"Abby." She whispered.

I raised an eyebrow. She rarely calls me that.

"I sorta fell over when I came back." I answered.

"I see."

I tried to raise the spoon to my mouth only Tanya stops me again.

I set the spoon down in the bowl and turn towards her and wait for her to talk.

"Why did you leave?" she asked, her voice low and husky like she's been crying, which I know she wasn't because she can't cry.

"It's what I do when bad things happen." I answered shrugging.

"I thought we discussed this once." She said.

"We did but it's not like I can switch that part of my brain off. I've been running since I was a kid. Running from Thomas, running from the school bullies, running from the bad people." I rant.

"Bad people?"

"Not bad people. More like scary looking people." I answered.

"What do they look like?"

"I don't remember. I just remember being scared of them and running away."

We sit there as she absorbs what I just told her. When she didn't say anything else, it was my turn to ask the questions.

"You look like total poo." I announced seeing more tears in her blouse and jeans. She raises a perfect brow and my lack of curse words.

"I was having a difficult time after you left." She answered.

"I figured you'd be happy to see Irina again." I mused.

I go to take a bit and was again stopped.

"About that."

"I figured you would be happy to see her and maybe…" I stopped.

"Forget about you." She finished for me.

I nod.

"You know that's not going to happen. Especially, after your visit."

"When was that?" I asked curiosity getting to me.

"Two hundred years after my creation."

"Oh."

So about 1200! That long ago! That's the furthest back I've been.

"What language were you talking?"

"Slavic with a bit of German. The Hapsburg Empire had seized Slovakia the decade before I was born and they started integrating their lifestyle on the people."  
"Oh." I said at a loss for words.

Wow!

I really need to go back and study up on my medieval history more.

"What made you decide to visit that time?" she asked.

"I didn't. I just said to myself I didn't care when or where I ended up. I guess my mind had more ideas." I said.

"I see." She replied nodding. "Do you mind if I use your shower?"

I shrugged not caring. I don't think this is my house anyways.

"Thank you!"

With that, she's gone. I dig into my soup with a flourish then. I'm not halfway done before Tanya shows back up with her hair clean and a pair of sweats of her own on. I've never seen her in sweats before. It's strange to see her this dressed down.

A half hour later, the kitchen is cleaned up and I'm lying in bed (it's comfortable), with Tanya sitting in the chair. As I'm about to drift off Tanya speaks up.

"Did I scare you?" she whispered.

I know what she's asking. When I went back, was I scared to see her then?

"No. Not really. Just surprised me is all. Except the eyes." I answered pointing to my own eyes.

"It was a short time after that that I found the animal diet."

"Oh." I replied.

It was quiet after that and I fell asleep.

Sometime later my dreams decided to turn for the worse. Gunshots causing me to jerk and blood everywhere made me thrash around the bed, but it was Josie's voice that sealed the deal on how bad it was when he said it was meant to be.

Tanya wakes me and whips the sweat from my face and neck with a cool washcloth, murmuring in her soft voice saying that everything will be all right.

Once my heart rate slows, I turn on my side and fall back to sleep. But, I do feel an arm wrap around and pull me to a hard body. I was too tired and sore to protest.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 46

Some time later, the sun still wasn't up, I turn over and face Tanya. She moves her hand from my waist to my cheek and starts stroking it.

"You need to go back to sleep, Love." She whispered.

"Mmph." I murmured back.

"You only had four hours of sleep."

"It feels longer." I mumbled into the pillow.

I take a few strands of her hair and rub them between my forefinger and thumb. Her hair is so fine; it feels like silk between my fingers. We lay like that and I'm almost asleep again when a thought jolts me awake.

"What is it?" Tanya asks worried by my reaction.

"Nothing, but I do have a question." I asked more awake than I was a moment ago.

"Ask away."

"What was up with those glasses you and your sisters had on?" I asked, knowing she will understand without me explaining.

"Oh. Those! We acquired them when we traveled to China. An old man in the mountains was making them. Their not really sunglasses per say, more like smoked quartz. It helped to hide our eyes so we can walk around the village if we wanted to on a cloudy day."

"Oh." Made sense. "You guys looked a little gothic with them on."

I'll admit, it was kinda freaky seeing the glasses on them. Reminded me of Gary Oldman in Dracula wearing his glasses.

"We did, didn't we? We still have them too." She replied nonchalantly.

"You still have glasses that are 1000 years old?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. They're in the vault under the house and they're 1100 years old."

"Vault!"

"Yes. We have a vault with most of our valuable things stored there."

"Really?" I squeaked.

"Yes."

What kinds of stuff does she have in it? How much is all that worth? These and other questions are swarming around my head. It's like a historian and anthropologists dream come true.

"I'll take you there and show you sometime if you want." She said. I can tell the hesitancy in her voice that she's a little worried about my reply. Would I want to go to Alaska and see her house and all those artifacts?

Hell yes!

"Yeah. I would like that." I replied with excitement.

"Can you do me one thing in return?"

"Depends on what it is." I replied.

"Go see William."

I stopped what I was doing with my fingers in her hair. I unravel them and turn away from her facing the wall again. There goes that little burst of happiness I had a few seconds ago.

"I can't." I answered.

She sighs and starts rubbing my back. I curl into a ball to try and get away from her touch, but she's insistent about making me feel better.

"Abigail. No one blames you for what happened. William needs you and you need him. You'll feel better in the end. Trust me." She pleads.

I don't answer. I just stare at the wall replaying everything that happened yesterday, or was it the day before? I'm loosing track of the time. I wonder if this is a side effect from making too many jumps. I wouldn't be surprised if I just lost my mind too and ended up someplace where I thought I was in the present and wasn't.

"Abigail." Tanya said, knowing that I'm not asleep.

"I can't. Not right now. I can't see him or anyone else in that family." I retorted into my pillow.

I hear her sigh behind me.

I know that the rest of the family will think it was my fault that Josiah died. Heck! I blame myself for it.

"They're still your family." She whispered, almost too low for me to hear.

"Are they? They treat me like it was their job to take me in out of duty to the family and not out of love. You saw how my uncle was at my birthday dinner. He didn't even say Happy Birthday to me."

"I noticed. Believe me. I'll have words with him about showing respect to those around him." She hissed.

She meant it too. I would love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. Her back rubbing lulls me back into a dreamless sleep. I wake several hours later with the sun very high and can tell that I overslept. The left side of my body aches from not moving last time I woke.

Tanya is still there, next to me with her arm wrapped around me. Instead of lying on my back, I flipped onto my stomach, still staring at the wall. The conversation we had before I fell back to sleep is at the forefront of my mind.

When I turned onto my stomach, Tanya doesn't move her arm and now her hand is lying on the small of my back. She moves her hand under my shirt and starts making circles on the skin. It's kinda ticklish. I squirm out of her way but she moves with me and keeps up the movement of her fingers.

"Good afternoon." She whispers onto my neck.

Her cold breath raises goose bumps there.

"Please don't be upset with me Abigail. I'm just trying to help you. I hate seeing you this way." She admitted.

This makes me even more upset at myself. Now, I'm making her upset with me. I can't win for anything. Turning my head towards her, I stare at her with one eye. Squinting, I can see the worry lines in her forehead and want to smooth those out with my finger.

"Please talk to me. Let me in to help you." She begged.

"Well." I hedged.

"Yes?"

"You can move so I can get up to go potty." I answered with a grimace.

"Really."

"Yes. I really have to go." I admitted.

She smiles and rises from the bed. I tore up from the bed and practically ran to the bathroom. I think I saw Alice sitting on the couch immersed in a magazine as I ran by. I think I heard Tanya say something but was too distracted to pay her much attention.

Once I'm done, I walk back out to see what the midget is doing but Alice was no longer sitting on the couch. The magazine is on the coffee table and there is a noise in the kitchen. Looking around the corner I see both girls heating up a plate of food for me. It's kinda funny that they're arguing how long to heat the plate for. I sit on the stool watching them.

Once the plate is in the microwave, they proceed to argue over what kind of juice I want. Alice wants orange juice while Tanya wants apple.

"Um. Guys I don't drink juice that much." I tried to intercede but am given a glare from both girls. I keep my mouth shut after that.

After ten minutes of them arguing I finally have plate of biscuits and gravy in front of me. I slowly eat the food and am relatively surprised that it's the right temperature. I stop with the fork full of food half way to my mouth and stare at the two. They're keeping something from me. I know it.

"What?" I asked taking the bite.

"Nothing." They both said at the same time.

I set the fork done and glare at both. Not taking another bite until I hear what they have to say.

"Go ahead." Tanya said, elbowing Alice in the ribs.

"Um. I accidentally told Will where you were staying last nigh. He's on his way here now." She said sheepishly.

I stare at them both, shocked that this was going to happen. But, in a sense I knew it was going to happen at some point. No one can keep things away from William for too long and him not finding out. I think he worked intelligence in the Marines. Or, he was really good at what he did.

I get up from the stool, food half eaten and go back to the bedroom. Opening up the closet to see what is in there, I find a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. After putting my shoes on, I walk out of the room and head straight for the door. Alice stops me from opening it.

"Move." I demanded.

No reply or movement on her part.

"Move." I said again with more venom in my voice.

Nothing.

I huff and try to move around her but she follows my lead and continues blocking me. Anger is flaring up and I can't take it anymore. Just as I'm about to open the window Tanya is there grabbing me around the waist and carries me to the couch. I know it's futile to fight a vampire but I try anyway.

No use.

Tanya pins my arms to the couch and straddles me.

"Calm down, now!" She demands between clenched teeth.

She's not hurting me but it is pissing me off even more that she has me pinned to the couch. I go completely limp in her embrace. I know she's not fooled by my abrupt stillness because she never lets go of me. I'm glaring daggers at her. I knew this was going to happen and I don't want it.

"Abby, please stay and listen to what Will says. Please?" Alice pleaded.

I shake my head no.

"Abigail you know I love you and that I only want to help. Believe me when I say that this will help you." She grits out.

"You lied." I muttered.

The hurt in my eyes causes her to falter a bit. I thought it was enough to get her off me but she applies a little more pressure to me as I start to move.

"Abby. Just see what he says. I know you want to leave but please stay for fifteen minutes." Alice again is pleading her case.

It was then that I thought back to what my mom had said about my gift. She wants me to see what I can do with it. I stop moving altogether and stare at her. Can I get out from under Tanya and get to the door in the past?

Alice takes a step towards Tanya and me. This could be the only chance I have. I look back at Tanya and nod. She eases up but doesn't get off me. I hear Alice take a sigh. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

Without thinking about what I am going to do and not tip Alice off, I force myself back to ten minutes ago. It happens so fast I'm dizzy from how fast I am able to make the jump. In another blink I will myself back to the present and make it to where I'm by the door.

It works. I'm at the door and have it open before both vampires know what happened. I know it was fast because I catch the shock in both faces. Smiling to myself I run out of the apartment and into a solid wall of cement. At least, it feels like cement. However, cement doesn't move unless it's falling.

With me going full on into the person in front of me, I caused said person to fall backwards and over the railing. We both are heading straight for the ground at a God-awful speed. I briefly hear people screaming after us as we fall. Without thinking I grab Will by the arms and will myself to go back in time. I hope it works and we land on something soft.

The time travel is disorienting by itself. Now, that I'm doing it with someone else it's downright nauseating. Afraid I'm going to lose Will in the unknown in-between space and time, I grip him harder. I hear him grunt and can't decide whether it was me holding him too tight or the jump itself. I'm pretty sure it's both.

Within the next second we are in another time and land on a giant haystack and continue down into it before stopping with a sudden jolt. We both grunt and exhale.

I did it!

I jumped with someone else.

Digging ourselves out of the haystack proves to be more difficult than it looks.

"I'm assuming you're gonna tell me what the hell just happened." Will yells out from the other side of the haystack.

"Yeah. As soon as we get out of here and I see where we're at." I answered.

Pushing the hay is just like swimming…in jell-o. It doesn't give very easily.

When I finally break free, I tumble down to the ground. It's about a three-foot drop and I let out a loud oomph when I land.

Opening my eyes, I'm staring at pair of legs. Craning my neck up I see that Tanya is standing in front of me.

Great!

I landed in another time with her in it. She looks at me confused and I see right away that this isn't the Tanya from history. This is the present Tanya, still wearing my sweats from last night.

Wow! I was able to make a jump with two other people. Never thought I could do that.

"What the hell just happened?"

I look to my right at see Emmett standing there looking around just as confused as Tanya.

Make that three people.

"I think Abby made a jump with all of us."

I look to my left and see Alice standing there beaming at me.

Four people!

Whoa!


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 47

I stand up and immediately feel dizzy. Tanya grabs my arms to make sure I don't fall. Once the dizziness disappears, I start to feel my energy drain. It feels like someone unplugged a drain and my energy is being let out.

Will and Emmett walk up and watches Tanya steady me. Alice is looking around trying to see when and where we are.

"Are you okay?" Tanya whispers.

Her eyes are darker than they were when we woke up. They had been darker when we were "fighting" but have since lightened.

I nod.

"Sorry about earlier." Her voice is so full of hurt and despair; I thought she would start crying if she could.

"We'll discuss this later." I replied and step away from her.

Looking around, I see that we are in the middle of a field. There is nothing for miles. This helps a lot.

"I see some trees that way." Emmett said pointing off to my left.

Here's the thing; I grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The city is near the mountains. If you live near any mountains then you will understand how hard it is to find your direction. You use the mountains to know where north, south, east and west are. Once I leave these majestic mountains I lose all sense of direction.

Standing in a field with no visible way to tell me what direction I'm going, I can honestly say that I'm lost. Will, on the other hand, knew what direction the trees are.

"That's west." He said.

"How do you know?" I asked and not seeing what he's seeing.

"The sun." He replies pointing up.

I look up and see that that the sun is not high in the sky. As a matter of fact, it's on its way towards the trees that Emmett sees. I squint and still can't see them. Not knowing what else to do I think our best beat is to head towards them and see what's over there.

I take a step that way when Will grabs my arm and brings me to a holt.

"Hold up." He said, running a hand through his hair and rubs his face. "Where the hell are we?" He demands.

"Um. Somewhere in a field, a hay field from the looks of it. With a ginormous haystack in the middle of it." I answered pointing to the haystack we just exited from.

"Really, Abby? That's all you have?" Will asked with a glare.

"Yes. That's all I have." I answer with a glare of my own.

"You don't have some, I don't know, detection system to let you know what time period you're in?" Will asked again.

"No. Not that I know of." I replied.

I wonder if I do something like that. I look at Alice, who's been quiet this whole time and see her staring at me.

"Alice. What's wrong?" I asked worried.

She doesn't say anything and keeps staring at me.

Emmett walks up to her and waves his hand in front of her face.

Nothing.

"She's in a really intense vision." He answers looking down at her. "It happens sometimes when she's really into a vision and wants to see it to its end."

"Okay." I replied, "Should we be worried?"

"Nah. She'll come out of it soon." He answered.

I stood there looking at her and see how scary she can be in the mist of a vision. She doesn't move or blink. It's like she's more into the vision than she is in the present. I've never really looked at her when she had one of these and wonder what all she can sense when she has one.

I feel eyes on me and look around. Both Tanya and Will are looking at me as Emmett and myself are looking at Alice.

"What?" I asked them, feeling kinda freaked out right now.

More from them staring at me than I was by Alice staring off into space.

"You're keeping something from me and I want to know why." Demanded Will.

"Uh. No I'm not." I answer confused.

"Yes, you are."

"If you want to know where we are I can tell you I have no idea where we are. I was more concerned about not becoming a greasy spot on the ground when we fell three stories." I answered.

I was scared. I never fell that far before and I knew that we wouldn't come out unscathed.

"Nothing would have happened except a couple bruises…and maybe a broken bone." He shrugged.

"Oh. That's nothing too bad then." I remarked sarcastically lifting my arms up.

"No, but he can tell you how fast and hard he fell for Irina." Emmett replied with a smirk.

What?

"Good job Emmett." Tanya said smacking Emmett upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" He asked rubbing his head.

"Thanks Emmett." Will replied giving him a scowl.

"Hey. I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret. Okay?"

I stood rooted to the spot. What did they mean by Will falling fast and hard for Irina? Surely, he couldn't have found Irina as a mate, right? I mean they just met. It takes time for something like that to happen. I mean it took me awhile to realize that Tanya and I belong together. At least, I think we do. I'm not too sure now with what happened earlier at the apartment.

"What do you mean by…" I was cut off when Alice finally unfroze.

"Hush! All of you." Alice hissed.

She had come out of her vision and seemed very upset.

"What's wrong Alice?" Emmett asked concerned.

"We have to get to the trees immediately."

With that she picks me up and then points at Emmett to take Will. He doesn't need a verbal command and hoists Will up like he only weighed a pound or two. Will tries to complain but it's been cut off as we all take off towards the trees.

It takes a couple minutes or seconds. I can't tell because everything becomes a blur. The trees are more like a forest and a pretty big one at that. They're tall with huge trunks indicating that they've been here a while.

Alice sets me down and walks around looking for something. I didn't think she could see anything considering that we are in the past. I guess it works anywhere.

"What did you see Alice?" Emmett asked again.

Before she could answer Alice, Tanya and Emmett freeze. I stand stock still following their lead. Will looks around at all of us and the confusion he's been showing seems to grow. I hear a rumbling sound and it gets louder the closer it comes towards us. Then the ground starts to shake. Is it an earthquake?

Tanya grabs my hand and pulls me to her. I don't fight her this time because my pulse is racing with each thunderous sound. I'm wondering if it's my heartbeat making the noise or something else.

Alice looks at Tanya and says something too low for me to hear. Tanya gives her a questioning look wanting more than what Alice told her. I see Alice move her head the tiniest bit indicating that she meant no. It all happens in a matter of seconds and if I wasn't paying attention to the two I would have missed it.

Realizing that Alice isn't going to give Tanya anymore information, Tanya picks me up and takes off deeper into the forest. I try to protest and tell her to put me down but she ignores me. I'm getting really tired of this miscommunication between us. I can barely hear Will protest too but it fades out the farther away Tanya runs.

Once Tanya is satisfied that we are far enough away, she sets me down, but doesn't let go of my hand. I can tell that she's really stressed right now and I don't want to make it worse for her. The tendons in her neck are standing out and her jaw is clenched.

"What's going on Tanya?" I whispered to her, afraid of speaking any louder thinking someone can hear me. I doubt they could because we are too deep in the forest.

"Alice sensed danger coming and that they could be looking for the your mother." Tanya answered.

"What do you mean sensed?" I asked confused.

"She did have a vision but it was a little fuzzy. She did sense danger coming this way. Her visions are faulty at the moment. She was getting blurry pictures and not the full frame, if you will, of the vision. But, she did see someone she met once before and he's a pretty mean and dangerous person. I have met him once too. Believe me when I say I don't want to meet him again."

"Who?" I asked.

"Vlad the Impaler." She answered.

I blink. Once. Twice. Not believing what she said.

"Who did you just say?" I asked, surprise written all over my face.

"Vlad, the Impaler. He's real enough and a mean son-of-a-bitch." She answered. I can see the fear and anger on her face.

I blinked not fully registering that Vlad, The Impaler is still around or, at least, around the time I jumped back to. I need to figure out how to tell what time I'm in. I'm sure there's a way to find out.

"Are you saying the guy that Bram Stroker wrote about is real and that the story really happened?"

"Yes!"

"What dumb ass decided to change him? He's a psycho." I asked, still aggravated by this information. I'm seeing pictures of him impaling his enemies and shiver in response.

"The same person that killed your grandfather and possibly had a hand in your father's death too." She replied

Aro!

Well, Hell!

It does make sense though. From what I heard about Aro, he's a greedy megalomaniac and would go to great lengths to acquire anyone he deems special enough to serve him.

"I'm guessing he knows about me too?" I asked knowing what the answer will be.

"Yes!" She answered, voice still strained.

"Were you guys ever going to tell me about him?"

"Yes."

She's staring off into the forest, apparently, looking for some sign that we were followed.

"Can you elaborate a little more than giving me one answer replies." I said letting my irritation come through.

"At the moment, no." she looks at me when answering than turns her back in the direction we came from.

I only nod.

I stand there staring at her and wonder what's going to happen between us. I have serious trust issues and when someone man handles me, like she did a while ago, I tend to back off and retreat back into myself. I have a feeling that it won't happen this time. Tanya did apologize and seems to really mean it. I have a hard time accepting apologies too. I guess the two go hand in hand.

"Were you going to say anything about Will and Irina?" I whispered.

She turns to look at me and sees the hurt and surprise on my face.

"Yes. I was just as surprised by the match myself." She answered.

"You didn't know about it either?"

"I found out when Alice returned this morning."

"Oh."

"That's one of the reasons why Will wanted to see you."

I nod not really paying her any attention. My thoughts are on Will and what he's been through the last couple of days. He's probably reeling just as much as I am. We both lost someone close to us and are feeling the hole created by that lose. Now, he finds someone whose world now revolves around him and he's probably trying to figure how to deal with that.

Tanya has been watching me and notices that my demeanor changes. I'm happy and sad. Happy that Will has found his other half and sad that I could lose him too, not that he'll die on me but that his focus will be someone else and that I could be left alone. I don't care all that much. I'm used to being alone. It's like an old friend and I would probably welcome it back with open arms. It's something familiar. But, so much has happened to me in the last few months, I'm not sure I really want to be alone anymore.

"Abigail, it's going to be okay. Nothing's changing." She said trying to reassure me. It's weird how much she can read me.

"I know, it's just…"

I stopped what I was saying when I see her go rigid and slowly turn her head to her left and behind her.

I hear a low murmuring and every hair on my body rises. I may not know what's going on but my body is letting me know that this is a real threat and that I should be scared.

I couldn't make out what was being said and tried to strain my ears to listen. All I heard was a low whisper. It sounds like a radio being on mute; only a very low amount of noise comes through and not enough to really know what is being said.

Tanya slowly turns back to me, her eyes pitch black and she looks more feral and animalistic than I have ever seen her. I take a step back and snap a twig, my heart pounding. This isn't Tanya. This is someone being controlled by something or someone. She goes into a crouch and I take another step back knowing what's going to happen next.

Flashes of Irina on the battlefield come to mind and I realize that she acted the same way Tanya is acting now. I had Demetri to thank for saving my life then. There's no one to save me now. I knew splitting us up was a bad idea but hadn't made myself to say it. Now, I wish I had. I'm pretty sure Alice and Emmett could stop Tanya acting this way.

Taking another step back I hear her give a low growl at me and I feel goose bumps rise on my arms.

I'm panting from fear. My heart is in my throat as I take another step back. That's all it took for Tanya to leap at me. The next thing I hear is myself screaming.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 48

I brace myself for impact and hold up my arms in defense. Nothing happens. I closed my eyes when Tanya jumped and open them to see her flying backwards. Not knowing what's happening, I turn and take off running. I can't see where I'm going because the fear is driving me deeper into the forest and I almost trip a few times over a tree trunk or branch.

I don't hear anything behind me but that doesn't mean that Tanya isn't back there. Vampires are notorious for their stealth. I'm afraid to look behind me to see if she is there and I know if I do look back it'll slow me down so I pick up speed and run faster. The exhaustion I felt earlier is now gone. Adrenaline is coursing through me and forcing me to push myself.

I hear a branch snap and I alter my course taking off in a different direction, running full tilt. I feel something touch my shirt before I am brought down. Hard. I let out a loud grunt as I collide with the ground and roll a few times before coming to a stop. Everything hurts, my hands, knees and right shoulder. But, it only fazes me a moment before I try to stand again and make a run for it again.

Two arms wrap around me and squeeze me tightly. I let out a scream and fight like I never fought before, yelling to whoever has me to let me go. This was a life or death situation and I'll be damned if I'm not going down without a fight. I try to elbow my assailant but it's no use. I might as well be elbowing a brick wall for all the good its doing.

The hands take my arms and hold them to my chest and legs wrap around my hips. The person is rocking me and trying to calm me down, but the adrenaline is still pumping through me. Panting and muttering a plea to let me go, I stop moving and let myself be rocked. I hear Tanya behind me sobbing.

"Please forgive me Abigail. Please? I'm so sorry." She repeats over and over.

Tears start running down and I can't stop the emotions overtaking me. Fear and heartache are the most I'm feeling right now. Fear that Tanya will lose control again and attack me, and heartache that she actually attacked me, her mate. How could she do that?

I have no idea how long we stayed that way and every time I try to break free she locks up and tightens her hold on me. Once the tears stop I become numb. It seems like my body has finally had enough and is shutting down. The continual rocking motion lulls me into a stupor. My muscles relax causing Tanya to loosen her hold on me. The last thing I remember is Tanya kissing my shoulder and still murmuring her apologies.

I have no idea how long I sleep but a branch snapping brings me back to reality. The dream I was having was a strange one. I was running away from someone I knew and couldn't understand why. We were in a forest, one I've been to a number of times. It's a trail Josie took me growing up. We would hike the trails and pretend we were the only ones around and that we were discovering a new world and would pick weird names for the place. I miss those days!

In my dream, I was running along one of the trails trying to escape something or someone. Just as I'm turning down another trail, the dream changes and I'm in a different forest, one I've never seen before. I have to find a way to get away from this thing that's chasing me trying to get back to Josie. I hear him calling out for me and every time I try to fake a turn or abruptly change course, the creature knows what I'm doing and changes its direction to cut me off. Josie's voice is getting quieter the further away I run.

Just as I'm about to make it out of the forest, I'm taken down and I jerk out of me dream. But, opening my eyes and looking around, I see that it really wasn't a dream.

A fire is going and keeping me warm. Tanya hasn't left her spot from behind me. I'm lying on my left side and using her arm as a pillow while her leg is draped over my legs. Someone holds a leather pouch in front of me. I look up and surprised to see Alice standing there.

She looks worried and I could probably guess why too. Depending on how long I slept, Tanya told her what happened. I try to sit up to take a drink but Tanya tightens her hold on me again forcing me to lay my head down.

"Tanya!" Alice hisses, "She needs to drink something."

Tanya relents and lets me go. I bolt from her embrace and scoot away from both vampires. All my senses are on high alert. I look between them and see a mixture of emotions on both.

Alice has a smear on her right cheek and her hair is a mess. Well, messier than it already was. There's a twig sticking out from the side and a tear in her blouse. She looks relieved to see me awake and yet there's fear there too.

Tanya looks dejected that I moved away from her. Her arms are on her bent knees and she's looking down with her eyes closed. Her brows are knitted together and if she could cry she would be.

"Where's Will and Emmett?" I muttered. My voice sounds like I'd smoked a pack of cigarettes.

"We had to separate. Emmett's taking care of Will. He won't let anything happen to him. I swear." Alice replied holding the leather pouch out for me again, shaking it to make her point.

I hear the sloshing inside and hesitantly take it. I bring it to my nose sniffing. It's water. I take a small sip to make sure and feel the cool liquid go down. I start gulping it like I've never had a drink in my life.

Once I take the last drop Alice takes it from me and sits down next to me. I scoot away a little because I need my space right now and being near someone just will make me antsy. Staring at the fire, I don't feel the need to say anything. I let the quiet take hold and reflect on what happened earlier with Tanya. Looking at her again, she hasn't moved from her position and I bite my lip to keep the tears from falling again.

"Where did you take off to?" I asked Alice without looking at her, trying to distract myself.

"I ran west. I was able to keep away from the army."

"I didn't think your visions would work in the past." I mentioned.

She sighs, "I'm not seeing the whole picture. It's weird because I see still pictures of what's going to happen. It's not really in focus either. I should have listened to Jasper more when he talked history, instead I focused on designing a new dress for Rosalie or some other fashion project."

"Oh."

I mulled that over for a bit before asking her how she knew where we were.

"I saw what direction you both went in and then just smelled you guys out." She sighed again.

"You smelled us out!"

"Yes. Our sense of smell is our best sense. I just had to get a tiny whiff of your scent, Abby, and then I was able to follow it. It became stronger the closer I came. That and the fear was pretty prominent so it was easy."

"My fear?"

"Yes. Fear has a distinct smell. That alone can set off a vampire to hunt a person. I can't really explain how it's so appealing to us, but it is."

"Huh." I wouldn't have thought my emotions have a smell. Interesting. I look over Tanya and she still hasn't moved. I'm not sure what to do so I keep taking to Alice. She seems to be in a talkative mood right now.

"Can you tell me why we separated?" I ask, voice still scratchy.

"Tanya told you about my visions and how I can't really see them, only snippets of them, right?"

I nod.

"I saw a snippet of Vlad looking for your mother. She was spotted here not too long ago. It could have even been today or the day we arrived, but she has since disappeared. Vlad sent some troops out looking for her. He caught our scents and went out himself looking for us. I thought breaking us up would be the best idea to throw him off."

"Um. What do you mean by when we arrived? It's still the same day, or night of the same day." I replied. Have I slept through a whole day? It doesn't feel like it.

Alice sat there looking at me like I just grew horns out of my head.

"Abby, you made the date change. You made us all move to a different time." She exclaimed.

"I - what?"

I didn't make us go to at different time. How could I? I was just getting away from Tanya when she became possessed, or whatever it was that happened to her.

"You were able to move ahead in time so we wouldn't be hunted by Vlad's troops. How'd you do it?" She asked wonder in her eyes.

"I don't know." I replied, still dumbfounded.

"She did it mostly out of fear of me." Tanya said from her spot. She still hadn't moved and her voice was just as scratchy as mine.

We both look over at her. Her eyes are closed. It looked like she was trying to block something out, a memory perhaps. Alice looks back at me for an answer but I don't have one.

"I was just protecting myself from Tanya jumping at me. I closed my eyes and when I opened them up she was flying backwards. I didn't hang around to see what happened." I said still looking at Tanya.

Tanya finally raises her head to look at me. Our eyes meet and stay locked that way for a few seconds.

"It wasn't your fault." I whispered.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Because that's exactly how Irina acted when I saw her in World War I. I thought it was the bloodlust that affected her, but now, I'm not so sure." I explained.

I look over as Alice stands.

"I'll be back." She says shaking the leather pouch, indicating she's going to get more water.

"Be careful." I said to her back.

She only nods and disappears. I think she left to give Tanya and I some time to talk alone.

It was quiet for several minutes and I listened to nature sing its nightly songs. Looking up I can barely see the stars twinkling. There looked to be more stars than I normally could see on a clear night. Looking back at Tanya and I see her staring at me.

"Can you explain what happened back there?" I whispered looking back up at the stars.

She's silent for a moment and I thought she wasn't going to answer but then she starts talking.

"I don't know. It happened so fast. One moment I was talking to you about William and Irina, and then everything went blank. All I could see and hear was a voice telling me that you were dangerous and to take you out. You were evil and it was my job to destroy you."

"I heard a low murmuring noise and it made me scared. I think I was more scared that you weren't yourself than I was that you were going to attack me." I admitted.

"It wasn't until you sent me flying backwards that I came out of, whatever I was in, to see that you ran off. I wasn't entirely sure what had happened. All I knew was that you were scared and I could have been the cause of that fear."

"You weren't yourself. You were more animalistic than anything else. Going off a false instinct to kill me. I don't even know what I did to make you go flying back. I just held my hands up in defense waiting for the impact as you jumped at me. Next thing I see is you going backwards. I didn't even stop to think what happened. I just wanted to get out of there and fast." I replied, just as confused as she was.

I was holding my hands in front of my face seeing if I can find something that indicates I what did to switch us to a different time. The only thing I could see were dirty scrapped hands…and a broken fingernail.

I hadn't noticed Tanya moving until her hands wrapped around my own. I look up and see her distraught face looking back at me. Her eyes were bright with tears that would never fall. I'm pretty sure my own face reflected hers.

She closes her eyes reveling in my warmth.

"Will you ever be able to forgive me? Not only for today but for what happened in the apartment?"

"What exactly was that about in the apartment?" I asked, my brows knitting together.

"I didn't want you to take off again. It kills me every time we're apart. I feel like half my soul is ripped apart."

I didn't realize how much I was hurting Tanya by leaving like I have been. I immediately feel guilty for my actions.

"Hey. Don't do this. Don't blame yourself for this. We've never explained how mating goes with our kind. For that, I'm sorry. It's my fault for not telling you." Tanya said. She placed her hands on my cheeks and wiped away the tears that started falling. She pressed her forehead to mine and cradled my face with both hands.

"We need to do some talking and I really want to tell you about some of my traditions. I think it would help with all this miscommunication. Once everything settles down, we'll go on an extended vacation. Just you and me." Tanya said.

"I think I would like that." I replied, calming down some. My mind is still a mess. I can't decide if I can fully trust her. I'm afraid she'll leave or something worse will happen and burst the bubble I'm feeling when I'm around her. It feels complete somehow with her near me.

"Promise me you won't leave again and I'll promise to tell you everything. I won't keep anything out." She paused, "And, if I lose myself like I did, you have my permission to do whatever you can to stop me. I mean it." She was adamant about that last part.

"What? Knocking you off your feet and send you flying backwards?" I asked astonished that she would want me to do that.

"Yes. That."

"Um. Okay."

"Whatever you did, it worked."

"I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that one. I'll have to figure out what I did to cause that."

" _We'll_ figure out what you did." She corrected me.

I nod. It was weird that there's someone who wants to help me and doesn't mind. I could tell when I was younger that it bothered the rest of my family to lend me a helping hand. I tried hard to do things on my own and avoid any contempt on anyone's part. I became very self sufficient at a young age. I knew if I told this to Tanya, she would add that to her list of grievances with my uncle.

"I have food." Alice announced her return.

She didn't seem the least bit upset at catching us in a moment. I look at her and see her holding up a dead rabbit by the ears. I grimace. I was not a big fan of camping and living off the land. It wasn't me. I love meat, but can't stand how it came from a loving furry animal to something that ends up on my plate.

It was Tanya that took the rabbit and skinned and stuck a stick through it. I had to busy myself at not watching this take place. Once the rabbit was cooking over that fire, Alice told Tanya where the small creek was and lead me to it to clean up.

Once we reached the bank I see it's a little deeper than I thought. I'm sure for a vampire it's only a little hop but for me, it's more like hiking a mountainside.

"May I?" Tanya asks holding out her hands.

I take a sigh and nod.

She gently picks me up and jumps down without jarring me. Setting me down, Tanya squats down to clean her hands and refills the water bottle for me. I watch as she scrubs her arms. I hadn't noticed that she had tree sap on both and there is a tear at the bottom of the t-shirt. She's still wearing the sweats from last night and is barefoot. There are black marks on the tops of her feet too.

I feel even worse now that she doesn't have any shoes. I follow her lead and squat down to clean my hands. Scrubbing harder than I normally would have without all the stuff going through my head. I even splash water on my face to wake me up more.

"I'm okay Abigail. Quit worrying about me." Tanya says walking up to me.

"Don't know what you mean." I reply splashing water around.

"Yes you do. I'm okay."

I look down at her feet again. She wiggles her toes then kneels by my side. I turn back to the water but she places her hand on my face and makes me face her. I press my lips and close my eyes.

"Hey, Abigail. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I've gone barefoot before. The first twenty years of my new life I didn't wear any. Every time I went hunting I would ruin them. Kate was the same way. Irina wasn't as bad as Kate and I but she did go through a lot of clothes."

I know she's trying to make me feel better, but it's not working.

"I'm not upset by my attire. But, I'm pretty sure Alice is having a mild stroke."

"She probably is." I said giving her a small smile.

"Come. Let's get back to her before she burns your dinner."

She picks me up again and jumps up the bank and continues to carry me back to the campfire. Alice was near the fire turning the rabbit over. It no longer looks like a rabbit and I feel a little better. I don't even want to know what she did with the skin and shudder a littler by that thought.

"Good. You're back. Dinner's done." She chirped.

She tears a leg off the stick and hands it to me. I flinch by how easy she did it. I stare at her hand and try not to think that a short while ago it was a cute fuzzy bunny. It'll taste like chicken I try to convince myself and hesitantly take the rabbit leg.

They both watch intently as I raise it to my mouth and take a small bite. I chew for several minutes before I swallow. I swallow again to get the taste out of my mouth. It wasn't too bad. Needed some salt and other spices to make it more palpable. Taking another bite, I chew with more fervor this time.

Happy that I'm eating, Alice smiles and takes a seat next to me. She's on my left and Tanya is on my right. Tanya places her hand on my thigh and starts rubbing it gently. When I'm almost done with the rabbit leg, Alice reaches over and tears the other leg off and hands it to me. I flinch again at her lack of compassion for the little creature.

I give her a look when I take the other leg. She only shrugs takes the first rabbit leg from me and launches it several feet away from us. By several feet, I mean, several hundreds of feet.

"So, Abby. Any idea when and where we are?" Alice asks conversationally.

"Um. No." I said around a bite of food. "What about you guys?"

"No." Tanya replied.

"I think, we were in the late 1700's and then you turned the time and it seems to be later." Alice said.

"What made you think it was the late 1700's?" I replied with a mouth full of food.

"Manners, Abby." Alice reprimanded and then continued talking. "In my vision, I saw the clothes the troops were wearing. They match up to the time of the American Revolution uniforms. I think it was more European uniforms than the Colonists. They didn't get their uniforms until later in the war."

"The American Revolution!" I exclaimed.

Wow!

"Yes. I'm pretty sure it was. Now, I have no idea what time we're in."

I mulled over that information and wished we were back in the time of the American Revolution. To be able to see the Founding Fathers and maybe even talk to them would make my top ten lists of all time jumps. Even though I haven't really been anywhere, I would love to see all the important times in human history and see how they add up to everyone's perspective of that time period. Maybe when all this is over I can do some traveling around. Maybe…

"Do you guys think I can tell what time period we're in?" I asked staring at the fire. I finished my second leg and Alice was about to pull another piece when I waved my hand for her to stop. Tanya takes my rabbit leg and launches it in the other direction.

"It's a possibility. You haven't been doing this too long and very consistent so we'll have to see after some more time, but I think you could eventually. I mean, look at what you did today. You jumped to another time without thinking about it. Just think about what you can do now that you know you can do that." Alice beamed at me.

I wasn't so sure about that one.

"I think you can too. Practice make perfect." Tanya said, putting her two cents worth in.

I rubbed my forehead feeling a headache coming on. It's been giving off a low throb and continues to get worse as time goes on.

"You haven't been in a jump for this long and I'm sure it'll start affecting you, so…time for the human to go back to sleep." Alice chirped.

I gave her an incredulous look and turned to see what Tanya had to say.

"She has a point. You haven't been gone long and with this many people." She shrugged.

"We should find Will and Emmett. The longer we're here the worse things will get." I admitted.

That's been bothering me for a while now. I'm afraid that we could set something into motion and not be able to fix it. It could cause a ripple that may have catastrophic consequences in the future. And, I think I've been watching too many sci-fi movies as a kid.

"It's going to be okay, Abby. We'll meet up where we separated and get back to the present. That's the plan I told Emmett and he agreed. Once the sun comes up we'll head that way. Until then, you should get a little more sleep." Alice reported as she took the rest of the rabbit and leaned the stick close to the fire to keep it from going bad, I think.

"We'll save this for when you wake up." She replied.

She had everything planned out. I hope it all goes to plan. Tanya straightens her legs and pats them. I look at her and then shift in my spot trying to get comfortable. She rolls her eyes and sighs before taking her arm and wrapping it around my shoulders. She lowers me down and I lay my head on her legs. She rubs my arm with one hand while the other she runs her hand through my hair and massages my scalp. It does the trick because I start drifting off as she starts humming. My last thought before I fall asleep is what Jamie and the other Cullen's and Denali's are doing right now.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 49

Jamie's POV

I'm so worked up right now; I don't think anything will calm me down. Josie's dead and Abby's gone. I don't know if I'll ever see her again and that's enough to make me lose my mind. We've been together for so long, it's almost like we were married.

I know more about her than I have anyone else I've ever known my entire life.

Getting the call from Garrett and Kate saying that they saw all five disappear when Abby and Will fell over a railing, I knew she was trying to make a run for it. Will wanted to talk to her about Josie and I knew she wasn't ready for it. But, how in God's name did she disappear with everyone? Kate said that no one noticed them disappear and hung around to see if they heard any conversations, but no, they didn't. Now, they're waiting for everyone to reappear and find out what happened. We all are.

I start pacing the floor and can't stop all the things that have happened in the last few days. Going all the way back to when Abby returned from the Battle of the Somme or was it the Battle of the Marne. Whatever battle it was, I've never seen her that messed up before and the smell was horrid. I never smelled anything like it, ever.

The way Doc, Edward and Barbie, a.k.a Rosalie, ripped her clothes off and started washing her; I thought she might have been a goner then. No one wanted me around her until she was clean and no more gas was affecting her. But, I wasn't convinced, especially when her eyes swelled up and Doc had to work fast to keep the swelling down.

Of course, Tanya didn't want me in the room until Abby woke and they made sure she was okay. I ended up staying outside the room and fell asleep against her door. I have no idea who put me to bed but that pissed my off more. I wanted to be there when she woke so she wouldn't get too spooked. She gets that way sometimes.

They don't know Abby the way I do. I knew she was heading down this road. No one stopped for Abby to get balanced. By that, I mean she has to acclimatize to her surroundings and become familiar and comfortable before she can move forward. When this doesn't happen, Abby tends to retreat more into herself and stop interacting with the rest of the world and then she would bolt and hide out somewhere that's she knows and is comfortable with. I know all the places she retreats to. I could see it when the vamps showed up and they didn't stop for her to deflate or whatever it she does to calm down.

It's the OCD that makes this happen, that and what the asshole, Thomas, said to her. I have no idea when it happened but from what I learned over the years, I think it started when dear old mom dropped her off with Aunt Eliza's family. They were anything but civil towards her. I'm surprised I still have a tongue left from all the times I had to catch myself and not voice my opinions about the treatment Abby received from her family. I thought my family was bad but the McFadden's' make my family look like the Cunningham's from Happy Days.

My pacing is interrupted when Rosalie, walks in front of me and stops me.

"Hey, Kid. Calm down. She'll be okay. They have Alice, Tanya and Emmett. And, I don't think William will let anything happen to her. All four of them will keep her safe and unharmed." Rosalie stated with her arms crossed. I guess I'm bothering her with my own nervousness.

And, I never thought I would hear her say that. She seems so full of herself and now I feel like I should re-evaluate what I've been thinking about her.

"It's not only that that I'm worried about." I state.

She raises a brow wanting me to elaborate.

"I'm worried about her state of mind. Too much is happening to her and she's not accepting that. She's just reacting to it. Once everything settles, I don't know what she's going to do. She's a ticking time bomb ready to explode."

"He's right." Jasper walked in and joined the conversation. "She's been really uptight and on edge. Her emotions are all over the place. I'm surprised she hasn't had a meltdown before now. I feel like I've been working overtime to calm her down."

It's weird how he can manipulate a person's feelings. One minute I'm angry as hell, the next I'm so happy I can't contain myself. It's weird. He has a field day when Renesmee is around.

Renesmee.

Or Nessie, as everyone calls her. Just her name causes a weird feeling in me. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I want to figure it out on my own. Jasper messing with my feelings doesn't help any.

When I first saw her I got all flustered and didn't know how to talk or think properly. Something about her just makes me turn to putty. Maybe that's her ability or gift or whatever they call it. I don't know but I hate not being around her.

She has long brown hair that flows just right and those bright chocolate brown eyes seem to pierce right through me and to my soul. When she wanted to go to the college with me I couldn't understand why but she asked all kinds of questions about why I choose my program and what I liked and least liked about it. How Abby and I met and we moved in together.

She also wanted to know about the little things, like what my favorite food is: Aunt Eliza's spaghetti. Or, my favorite color: brown. It always was brown and not a recent choice. I feel like I'm being interrogated for some reason but I don't mind. I was told that she doesn't know very many humans and is curious about us.

Really?

I guess she's been sheltered from us and I'm kinda curious as to why. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with her being half vampire and half human. I'm interested in hearing that story.

"It is an interesting story and one I'm sure Ness wants to tell you but now is not the time." Edward stated walking into the room.

I jump when I hear him walk in. Another reason I don't really like being here. Edward can hear my thoughts and that bothers me more than Jasper messing with my emotions. Okay, they both bother me. I feel like I've been intruded upon and can't seem to build any walls to protect myself.

"You'll learn. Everyone does."

I sigh and stare out the window. I should be with Abby right now.

"We all wish that." He whispered almost too low for me to hear.

I shake my head and try to think of something else.

"Don't let him get to you." Bella said walking in.

"Easy for you to say." I muttered.

For some reason Edward can't hear her thoughts. Lucky her.

I blow out a breath of air trying to relax but nothing is helping. I don't think Jasper is helping either. Crossing my arms, I replay the last two days and wonder if there was a way to change the outcome. I'm sure if Abby could, she would. Josie's death hangs over everyone and I wonder what's going to happen to those that caused his death.

"We'll find them and they'll pay." Edward stated with vigor.

"Oh, they'll pay alright. I'm sure William wants in on that one." Jasper replied.

"I get dibs too." Irina exclaimed walking in. She looks at everyone in a strange way, I'm guessing she's trying to get used to being around us again, and sits down on the rocking chair.

She's been catching up on what's happening to everyone for the past few years. That still baffles me and, I'm sure, everyone else. I turn to Edward and see him nod in agreement.

Apparently, the Chief went back and gave her some half-assed explanation about thinking before acting on her assumptions. Irina spent the better part of a hundred years to figure it out. And, she almost failed too. At the last minute, she changed her mind about going to the Volturi and spilling her accusations. It changed the whole outcome of Edward, Bella and the rest of the Cullen's future. They said that when they saw Irina get out of the car, something changed and their future or past was altered.

They said it was strange because they remember the confrontation with the Volturi and another, alternate, memory happened, one where they continued to live in Washington before moving to Montana for a couple years and then on towards New England. That was until Alice saw Abby in her future and changed all the plans. Right now, they're waiting to see if Alice sees them moving and where they would go from here. Something about that makes my a little sad and upset.

"We're not leaving until Abby finds all the journals and gets her mother back. After that, we'll see. We don't want to leave without her finding some peace and knowing that she'll never be alone. She's family now…literally." Edward said.

"You both are." Esme exclaimed walking up and gives me a hug.

The others in the room nod in agreement.

I find it comforting that Esme and everyone else welcomed us into the family without something in return.

"Something tells me she'll return with it." Jasper admitted.

I think she will too but condition will she be in?

"That's the question everyone is thinking Jamie, not just you."

"Please try not to worry. Everything will be okay." Esme said placing her hand on my cheek and giving me a reassuring smile. I smiled back.

I wish my own mother were this loving.

"Lunch will be ready in a couple of minutes." She said walking back out of the room.

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry." I stated.

"Go wash up and met me in the kitchen." She replied, ignoring me.

"She doesn't take no for an answer, does she?" I asked to no one in particular.

Everyone shook their heads. I take a deep breath and take off for the second floor to do as I was told. I then came down and followed Esme into the kitchen. Sitting on the stool I normally sit in, I look over and see an empty stool. The one Abby normally sits in. She better show up soon. I don't know what will happen if she doesn't.

Esme sets a plate down in front of me and then takes my head into her hands.

"Try not to worry too much, Jamie. Abby will be fine. She has four of the best people I know with her."

"I know. I'm just worried about what's going to happen when she comes back." I take a bite of the sandwich, ham and turkey, before I elaborate. "Abby lost her mother, father, husband and kid. Now, she lost Josie. She's going to want to isolate herself to keep anyone else from dying. That's why she left in the first place."

"We know. She didn't have anyone to help her recover from those loses. But, we're here now and won't let her go through this alone. I'm sure Alice and Tanya will not let her out of their sight until after the funeral and then will continue to be there for her. We all will. For you too." Esme said comforting me.

I don't need that much comforting. Not as much as Abby does.

"Yes. You do, Jamie. You're hurting just as much as Abby is. You were close to Josiah too. And, I'm sure it hasn't hit you yet with everything that has happened since then."

I looked at her wondering how she knew what I was thinking. Can she read minds too?

"Edward told me." she smiled.

Oh!

I looked down the hallway and wonder how low can they talk before they can't hear one another.

"Pretty low." She answered.

Huh!

"Do you know what the arrangements are for Josiah's funeral?" She asked.

"Not really. I do know some of his buddies will be here to carry the casket. It'll be full military honors. I heard he was a good soldier and received a lot of medals. They wanted him to stay in but he said no." I replied.

"He told me that it was Abby that he was worried about. He wanted to be closer to her and made sure she was looked after." Esme said.

I can see that she was getting upset by that and realized that she didn't know all that happened to Abby growing up.

"There is something that we should tell you. It'll come up eventually. When Abby was about 18 months old, her and her mother came to visit us."

What? I blink in surprise.

"Of course, Abby doesn't remember the visit, she was too young. But, Catherine wanted to make sure Abby would be looked after in case anything happened to her or Jeremiah. It seems that even Catherine had some doubts about Jeremiah's family looking after Abby." She stops and looks away.

"So, you all got to see her when she was still a baby?" I asked.

That is pretty cool. I wonder what she looked like then.

"She was adorable, of course." Edward said walking in.

"Yes. She was. She just started walking not too long before coming and was fascinated by everything. She wanted to touch the shiny objects but Catherine didn't want her to break anything."

"There was a crystal elephant that Carlisle found in Southeast Asia that Abby was fascinated with. Every time she would try to reach for it, Catherine would call her out. She never would go near it after that third time, even when Emmett held it out for her."

They both laughed at the memory. To be able to see her at that age, when everything was new and exciting would awesome. I bet seeing her this way probably tears them up.

"It does. If we had known what was in store for her, we would have came down and took her and raised her. No questions asked." Edward replied.

"How come Catherine didn't give her to you guys first?" I asked. She would have definitely had a good upbringing if left with the Cullen's. They would have shown her what love was.

"Because of the covenant Catherine had with Aro. Abby was to be raised by a family member and Catherine thought that Jeremiah's oldest sibling would be a good fit. She already had a house full of kids and thought Abby would fit right in."

"That's right." I forgot the stupid deal mom had made with the psycho. "But, you guys are her family. Extended, yes, but family none the less." I said after I remember her saying something about them all being related. That was weird in it self.

"So, how come you haven't told Abby about meeting her before?" I asked.

"Because Alice saw that she wouldn't take it well." Rosalie said joining the rest of us in the kitchen. "Alice has known her the longest, well, besides the Denali's now. But, Alice saw that no matter how we approached Abby with the information, Abby would get upset and storm out. That may change now that Abby has had time to adjust to us being around and Carlisle knowing her mother the longest."

"Do you think that if she goes back into the past and tells you to take her, you would?" I asked. I know she would try this if and when she finds out.

"We have discussed that and have come to the conclusion that, yes, we would. Believe me when I say that we all want to have a heart-to-heart with her aunt and uncle to discuss how she was raised." Edward bit out.

"I'm sure her mom would be first to have that talk with them before you guys do." I added.

"Of course, we'll give her the first shot. We'll take whatever's left and hopefully Thomas is left. I want to teach that degenerate a lesson or two on how to treat a lady." Rosalie hissed.

Just like that, a wave of calm passed through me and I relaxed. I can tell the others experienced this same feeling. Jasper must have noticed the tension rising in here and used his gift to calm us down.

Before anyone could continue the conversation, Nessie walked in the back door soaking wet. She tried to hurry up the stairs to the room but Edward called her name and she slowly came into the kitchen with her shoulders hunched and a look of embarrassment. I don't know if that was for her father or me.  
"Explain why you look like that please." He enquired.

"I was walking across a log and fell in the river. I didn't have time to make a good jump to the bank and even if I did the bank was soft enough that it just gave away. All the rain we had here made everything soggy." She replied.

I couldn't help it but my heart started like a jack knife in my chest when I heard her talk and when she looked at me it made an unusual thump. Edward looked at me before talking to Nessie again. I immediately looked down at my plate and took another bite of the sandwich.

"Go get changed." He said with a loving look and a bit of a smirk. He turned to me and said, "We'll talk later."

Oh Lord! I'm so screwed.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 50

I wake sometime the next morning with a bad headache. It seems the pain that started in the back of my head last night has now moved to the front and the pain is radiating all around. The throbbing seems to be keeping time with my heartbeat. Both Tanya and Alice notice and try to comfort me but I insist that we get to the meeting point and get back to the present.

Alice makes me eat some more rabbit and drink more water. Once I ate what I could, she throws the rest into the forest for the scavengers to take. Tanya filled the water pouch and we were off.

It doesn't take long for me to get tired. I'm not sure we made it a mile before Tanya picks me up and carries me the rest of the way. Both her and Alice look worried and I can tell they want to get back as much as I do.

We reach the spot in no time it seems. When Tanya sets me down I stagger causing her to grip my arms.

"Abigail." She called out.

"I'm okay. Just a little dizzy from the ride." I replied.

"You sure?" she wasn't convinced I was all right.

"Yeah. I always get this way when I ride the carnival rides. I actually threw up after I rode the carousel once." I admitted. Elizabeth and Jeremiah never let me live that one down.

Tanya leads me to a tree stump and makes me sit down to collect myself. Alice takes off in some direction looking for the boys, I assumed. I prop my arms on my knees and hold my head in my hands. I'm trying not to let Tanya know how bad the headache is but I don't think its working.

Closing my eyes helps a little and I massage my temples to ease the pain. It doesn't work either. The only other times I feel this way is when my sinuses drain. The pressure is unbelievable during those times too. I feel the need to press on my eyes to try and relieve some of the pressure.

"Abigail. Tell me what to do." She offered.

"Nothing, really." I answered. "I just need to relieve the pressure in my head is all. It feels like my sinuses are draining and someone is putting pressure on it."

"Alice went to find Emmett and William. Their smell is still strong around here and we're guessing they may have been here earlier and left to find food or water."

"Okay." I was beyond caring what they're doing. I just want to get back and sleep in a real bed and eat food that I didn't have to see how it was cooked. I shuddered thinking about that poor rabbit.

"Abigail?" Tanya sees me shudder thinking it was the pain causing it.

"I'm okay. I was just thinking about that poor little bunny is all." I insisted.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

I hear her chuckling and look up to see her shaking her head at my admission.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing. I can't believe that you're worried about an animal instead of yourself." She replied still laughing.

"It helps to get my mind off how I'm feeling." I said.

That brings her up short.

"Are you hurting that much?" she asks cupping my face.

"No. Not really. Just haven't felt like this in a while."

Tanya is about to say something when she immediately stands up and in front of me in a protective manner. I straighten up to see what she sees or hears. Of course, I can't and squint thinking it will help. Nothing.

"Tanya." I whispered.

"Shh." She replied.

I swallow hard and wonder if that is too loud. Tanya bends into a crouch and I hear a low growl coming from her. All the hair on my arms and neck stand up.

What seems like forever, she relaxes a little which doesn't help me any.

"Tanya calm down. It's only Emmett and me." Alice said from a distance.

When I didn't hear Will's name, I begin to panic.

What's wrong with him? Where is he? What happens if someone dies in the past?

My mind starts reeling from what could have happened to him.

"Abby, calm down! Will's okay and unharmed." Alice reassured me.

Her and Emmett arrive.

Emmett looks worse than any of us girls do. That does not help my imagination any. His hair is a mess and there are several tears in his shirt and dirt stains on his pants. But, he did have a smile and his eyes were a bright gold, meaning he's fed recently.

"Where is he?" I asked, trying to keep the panic at bay. I didn't fool anyone.

"He's okay. We both are." Emmett reassured me. "We've met up with some soldiers and are in camp with them." He stated giving me a cute dimple smile.

In a camp with soldiers? What and how did they manage that?

We start walking towards the camp; Tanya doesn't leave my side and would catch me if I started stumbling. Exhaustion is taking over quickly and all three offered to carry me but I refused saying that I didn't want to appear weak. That got several looks.

"You're not weak." Tanya stated.

I could only nod and drank the rest of the water in the pouch.

It didn't take as long as I thought it would to reach the encampment, which I was relieved. I could hear the murmuring of the soldiers as we neared and I'm sure the others were able to hear them a lot sooner than I could.

The closer we got, the louder that voices were and I could see silhouettes of people and, possibly, tents. It was a low murmur at first and then grew to near shouting when the soldiers caught sight of us.

We were less than a hundred feet when a crowd forms around us. I grab onto the nearest hand and see that it's Tanya. Both her and Alice form a protective ring around me and both crouch, ready to attack anyone who makes a threatening move.

The uniforms look like Union uniforms. Navy coats and pants, just like the pictures I've seen. But the smell. The smell was horrid, like no one had showered…ever.

"Hey, guys, it's okay. Really!" Emmett stated holding his hands up.

It doesn't work.

I turn in a circle and see that we are completely surrounded and the unexpected happens. Every single soldier kneels. It's like a wave at a baseball game. Everyone rises and sits causing an illusion of a wave.

"Well, crap!" I muttered.

"See, Chief. You're famous." Emmett announced with a grin.

"Chief!" A soldier in the front of us said in surprise. He has sandy blonde hair and a long mustache. I guess it was popular after all during this time.

"Uh. It's a nickname I was given by a friend." I said.

"Abby!" Will shouts from the back of the crowd.

I look up and see him waving. Someone is standing next to him waving too.

"Um. How do we get to them?" I whispered to Alice.

She shrugs her shoulders, just as baffled as I am.

Tanya sighs and starts making her way to the to men, at least, they look like men. I have no idea who Will is standing next to. And, just like the Red Sea, men move aside and let us walk towards my cousin.

"This is kinda creepy." I mumbled to Alice. She nods, her hand on the small of my back, still in a protective way. I wouldn't be surprised if her or Tanya rips someone's arm off if they tried to reach for me. Tanya holds my hand and I squeeze hers in acknowledgement.

She lets out a growl when a soldier leans too far out and he immediately scoots back.

I hadn't taken a dozen steps when my nose starts running. I sniff to keep it from dripping down but it isn't any use, it does. I wipe my hand across my face and freeze. The back of my hand has a red smear. All three vampires freeze too.

I look into Tanya's eyes and see the same look as my own. This isn't good. Someone holds up a handkerchief and Alice takes it and holds it to my nose.

"Don't panic." She whispered. I nod.

Will and the man next to him start making their way to me, but before they could make it, everything starts spinning and I sway. Before I black out, I see the man that's with Will and can't believe my eyes.

When I finally wake up, I hear several voices whispering. A hand caressing my cheek makes me open my eyes. Tanya is leaning over me, her eyes full of concern.

"Hey." I muttered.

"God Abby! If I had a heartbeat, I would've had a heart attack already."

Tanya leans over and presses her forehead to mine. She squeezes my hand and inhales; taking in my scent, which, I'm sure wasn't a pleasant smell. She holds me that way for a minute and lets go when we hear a deep throat growl.

I look to my right and see Alice crouching in front of Tanya and myself.

Looking beyond Alice I see three men standing near the entrance of the tent, with Emmett. He seems to be standing in front of them with his hands up trying to calm Alice down.

Behind him and to his left is Will with a concerned look. He wants to come forward to check on me but Alice is preventing anyone to move at all. The man next to Will catches my attention and I blink several times to make sure I'm not seeing things. I'm not.

Josie is standing there, looking at me. The only thing that's changed is that he's sporting a beard. Even in a Union uniform, he still looks good. The only question is how did he end up here.

I look back at Tanya to make sure I not seeing things. She nods confirming that it is Josie. Looking back at him, he's pleading me with his eyes to come to me.

"Abby please." He said. It even sounds like Josie.

If anything, it makes Alice growl louder and crouch lower.

"Alice." I whispered and place my hand on her back. She calms and relaxes a little.

I look at the third man. He is the same one that talked to us earlier. When we make eye contact he bows.

"Your highness."

I clench my jaw and want to vomit when he said that.

"Um. May I ask your name please?" I asked.

"Major John Conley, your Highness." He replied.

"Please, don't call me that." I retorted.

"Are you not the daughter of Her Majesty, Catherine?"

"Uh. My mother's name is Catherine, yes, but her Majesty, no." I stated.

"She is the daughter of King Arastos and when he died she became queen, which makes you a princess." Major Conley stated.

That's not what I wanted to hear.

"How do you know all this?" I asked.

"Queen Catherine told me. She said you may show up and to treat you like we would her."

"Why would she do that?" I directed that question at Tanya.

"I don't know."

"Abby, I know why?" Josie said still looking at me.

"How do we know you're Abby's cousin." Alice growled. She's still not fully trusting of the men in front of us.

"Abby. When you were four years old, you made me sleep with you because of the monster under your bed. Your favorite food is spaghetti and you like chocolate ice cream and if you can't get that you get vanilla with chocolate syrup." Josie answered.

"That doesn't prove anything." Tanya stated.

"You came to me the morning of and asked, no, begged me to not come and see you. This is why I couldn't. I made a promise to your mom. This is me fulfilling that promise."

My head starts spinning again when he said that and that causes Alice to start growling again.

"Alice, it's okay." I said rubbing her back. She stops growling and relaxes a fraction. Her body is so wound tight it felt like a rubber band stretched to its maximun.

When Josie starts walking towards us, both Alice and Tanya stiffen again. Tanya scoots over closer to me and almost in front of me. I continue rubbing Alice's back trying to calm her down but I could still hear her growl and body tighten, ready to pounce. Why are her and Tanya acting this way?

"Hey. Chill Shorty, I just want to talk to my sister." Josie stated walking so slow, he could be walking in slow motion.

Emmett stiffens a little too but I think it was to keep an eye on Josie instead of Alice.

"Alice. You need to calm down!" Emmett stated to his sister.

I grabbed a belt loop and tugged causing her to snap around and glare at me. I give her a questioning look asking what her problem is. After staring at each other for a few seconds Alice finally relaxes, even though, she never stepped away from in front of me.

When Josie is a few feet from us Alice growled at him.

"That's close enough." She snapped.

Josie stopped and stares at all three of us. I swing my legs off the cot and attempt to stand but Tanya is there pushing me back down. I try to push her away but she won't have it.

"Really?" I asked. She doesn't say anything and I can tell something's off. I sit there and take a good look at the men in front of us.

Nothing looks out of the ordinary. They are a bit confused by the girls' behavior towards them but nothing looks too out of the ordinary. It could have something do with us being the only females around.

"Abby." Josie said.

I look up at him and see him giving me a sad smile. He kneels down so we're looking at each other eye level.

"I knew you would be able to do this. I never doubted it for a second." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"Your mom told me a lot of things when I took her from you. One was saying that she left three journals explaining how to find her. And…" he opens a button in his uniform and reaches inside. He pulls out a small leather bound journal. "I have the third journal."

He holds it out for me to take. I stare at it, not believing he has the last journal I had to find. Why didn't he give it to me before?

"Because I was told I had to wait for you to come to me to get it." He answered.

"So, you knew that when you died you would come back to see me again?"

"Yes, though, I didn't know how I was going to kick it. I don't think I felt much. One moment I was standing there waiting for Will to come around the truck and next thing, I was here getting ready to go into battle. It was kind of surreal for awhile until I figured out what happened."

I sit there dumbfounded. Josie just told us what happened to him after he died.

"So, you know what happened?" Emmett said from behind Josie.

"Not really. I heard the gunshots and it felt like I fell asleep and woke up here."

"We had to explain to him where he was. I could tell the queen has touched him and that he is meant to be here. You also have been touched by the queen." He said to Alice.

That brings her up short.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You have been favored by the queen. She has given you an assignment and you are currently following it."

All eyes turn to her. She turns around to look at me. I wait for her to tell me what my mother wants her to do.

"I was only told to take care of you and be there for you, Abby." She stated.

"That's a very important role for you Mistress." The Major replied bowing towards her. She nods her agreement.

"How do you know all this?" I asked. I was about to stand up but Tanya wraps her arm around my shoulders and keeps me down. What the heck is up with these two?

"The Queen came to us and explained that her daughter would be arriving and to keep an eye for her. She left explicit instructions to treat you like royalty and to give anything you need without question." He explained.

"Okay. I get that, but did she tell you about…us and them?" I asked pointing to the vampires.

"We know all about the blood drinkers. We've been hunting them down and destroying them. She did tell us that you would be traveling with a different kind of blood drinker. Ones who do not drink from humans and that we could tell the difference with the eye color. She's right. You all seem…more civilized than the ones we've hunted."

I can't wrap my mind around this. Humans hunting vampires? It seems very far-fetched. How can a group of men fight and kill something that is far faster and deadlier than they are?

"We have our own weapons we use and are able to slow them down enough to set them on fire." He answered my unasked question.

"What weapon?" Emmett asked perplexed that something could slow him down to the point of being killed.

"We do not wish to divulge that secret." The major said evasively.

I look at Tanya and see her own perplexed expression.

"How long have you been fighting this war?" Will finally spoke.

We've been fighting the War Between the States for about a year now. The war against the vampires, almost ten years."

I can see Will looks like he wants to join this war and fight along side Josie. They never had fought together when they both were in the military. I don't think they were stationed in the same place together either.

"And, how many have you lost?" Tanya asked.

She seems upset.

"Too many to count, Madam." He answered.

"Do you think it's worth it?" She asked.

"Yes!"

Before Tanya can ask anything else, the Major suggests we return to the present. Alice relaxes considerably at that statement. She hasn't relaxed since we walked into the camp. I'm conflicted about going back and want to stay here and hang out with Josie. I can see Will wants the same thing.

Josie scoots forward until he's right in front of me, much to Alice's dismay. She lets out a low growl, which I grab a belt loop and yank. She didn't flinch this time and I can feel her trembling, ready to attack without any provocation.

"Abby, this doesn't have all the answers, but with the other two journals, the answer to getting to Aunt Catherine are there. It's not going to be easy either. From what little bit I was able to find out, it's going to be very hard to get to her. What you've been through now is only preparing you for the next step. Will!" Josie said looking over his shoulder. Will walks forward and looks down at Josie.

"Swear to me, you'll look out for her."

"I will." He replied.

"You three swear that she doesn't go back in time by herself. It's not safe. Those who don't want her mom brought back will know she's closer to her and will become more aggressive to stop her from accomplishing that. Trust no one from this point on. And, don't leave her alone. At. All!"

All three swore they would do what they could to protect me. With tears in my eyes, I was allowed to hug Josie. I didn't want to let him go. He was my protector and savior for so long, I'm not sure how I'll cope with him gone. I see Will tear up a little too when they hugged.

Josie and the Major walk out of the tent and leave us four there. Everyone looks at me expectantly, waiting to go back. I look down at the journal and flip through the pages. Josie's writing is small and neat. It reminds me of the times he wrote when he was away on deployment.

"Let's go, Abby. It's time." Will murmured.

I look up and see the same sad look I wear on Will. He gives me a sad smile. I close the journal and close my eyes. I am completely exhausted now and not sure I could get us back. Tanya squeezes my hand in encouragement. I also am not sure if I want to go back to the small apartment or home.

I just pick a place and feel the familiar pull. I hear gasps from everyone else and that lets me know we were on our way back to the present.


	52. Chapter 52

I apologize for not updating the last couple of months. Had another major surgery and am just now able to start writing. Thanks for all your patience!

Chapter 51

I wake sometime during the night. My mind is still in the forest and it takes Tanya and, finally, Esme to wake me enough to realize I'm there but in the Cullen house. I sit trying to calm myself down and stop shaking. Closing my eyes, I take deep breaths and feel a cool washcloth on the back of my neck. Tanya is patting it trying to get the sweat off.

I shudder as I think about the dream I had. I can't remember too much of it only that Josie was in it. Something about him telling me to run, but I can't remember from whom. Giving another shudder I grab the journal he gave me and it isn't on the bed where I left it. Patting the bed around me, I start to get a little desperate when it suddenly appears before me.

"I laid it on the nightstand after you fell asleep. I didn't want it to get ruined." Tanya admitted.

"Thank you." I replied, taking the journal and hugging to my chest.

It's going to be the last thing I get from Josie and that breaks my heart.

Taking another deep breath, I finally calm down and lay down.

"Are you okay, Love?" Tanya whispered.

"Yeah." I muttered.

I turn onto my side and let my arm swing off the bed. It collides with a head full of hair and I hear a small 'ow'. I lean over and barely see someone leaning against the bed with their back to the nightstand. Upon a further look, it's Jamie that's down there sound asleep.

I hear Tanya sigh. "He wouldn't leave your side when we returned. No matter what Jasper and Carlisle tried, Jamie would make his way back up here. So, Carlisle relented and told him to wait until we got you settled in bed. He followed us down the hall and up the stairs to make sure Carlisle didn't renege on his promise."

Everything was a haze when we returned. The only thing that I can clearly remember was everyone taking turns hugging me and telling me not to run off like I did again. Once that was done, Carlisle ushered me up to his office to check me out. The headache was there but not as bad as it was when we were gone. I couldn't keep my eyes open after that, but I made Tanya and Alice promise to hunt while I was asleep.

Turning over to get a good look at Tanya, I look into her eyes and see that they're still black.

"I still have time Abigail." She answered my unspoken question.

"Uh. No you don't. You promised to hunt while I was asleep." I exclaimed.

"Like I said, I still have time. Your going back to sleep, which means I can run and grab a bite." She smiled.

"Ok. How long have I been asleep this time?"

"About fifteen hours so far."

I sigh heavily. It feels like I've only been asleep a couple hours.

"You need more rest. You have had a rough day and bringing four people with you has taken a tremendous amount of strength. Carlisle has ordered for you to rest and no time jumping until he gives you the okay."

"What?" I asked.

"Alice agreed and made her first order for you to rest. I think you may find it hard to time jump without her permission."

"She can't do that," I replied. " I have to get my mother back from…wherever she is. How am I supposed to do that if I can't make a jump?" I demanded.

Jamie gave a grunt but didn't wake up.

"Abigail. You've been through a lot lately. You haven't had time to really absorb what's been happening. It's time to step back and re-evaluate what you've been through. No one wants you to disappear like that again. I don't want to see your health deteriorate and it scares me like hell, to see you hurt."

I lay there for a minute and it feels like a Mac truck hit me…several times. And, I haven't had time to think what's happened over the last several months. If you asked me in January if I was going to travel in time and meet the love of my life, I probably would have laughed at you.

"Where's Alice?" I muttered.

"She's with Jasper."

"And, Emmett and Will?"

"With their mates."

"It is true then? Him and Irina?"

"Looks that way. I haven't really paid attention."

Thinking about Will and Irina together is hard to think about. Irina isn't even supposed to be here. If I hadn't gone back to warn her, they would never had met. I should be happy that they both found each other, but something isn't settling with the idea of them being together. I can't point out what it is right now.

Tanya pulls my face towards her and pecks my lips.

"Go to sleep Love."

It doesn't take much convincing for me to fall back to sleep. I pretty much was gone after she talked.

Something wakes me up. I feel like I'm being watched. The dream I'm having is a good one too. I can't remember it now. Opening my eyes, I stare into a pair of golden ones.

"Alice!" I yelled at the midget.

"Good morning sunshine." She chirped.

"What do you want?"

"Or, should I say, Good afternoon!"

"What do you want?" I repeated.

"I just wanted to see how my favorite niece is doing. That's all."

"That's all?" I replied.

"Yes."

I lay there looking at her. She wants to say something else but is waiting for me to ask her.

"And, what else?" I asked.

"Well, that and see how you're doing with my little probation about the time jumping thing."

With that, I turn over and have my back to her. I'm not happy that she enforced that.

"I thought so." She muttered.

I reach out for Tanya, finally realizing that she isn't saying anything. No one else is on the bed but me…and Alice.

"She finally went hunting. It took Kate and Garrett to force her out. They'll be back in about ten minutes."

"Mmph!" I replied.

"I know you're upset, but I don't want you to do any extraneous moves until you're healed.

"I'm fine!" I replied.

"Okay. Then lets get up and get some food in you."

To prove to her that I am okay I kick the blankets off and roll off the bed onto my feet. However, after two steps the room starts spinning and causes me to stagger. Alice is there in a blink of an eye.

"You're fine, huh?"

"Well, I have been in bed for a while." I replied sitting down. The room finally slows down and stops causing me to sway again.

"Carlisle is coming." She said before said person softly knocks on the door.

"Come in." Alice said.

Carlisle is in and by my side in a heartbeat.

"How are you doing, Abby?"

"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. How long have I been out?" I asked.

"About a day and a half…almost 2 days." Alice replied.

"Really?"

I don't think I've ever slept that long.

Carlisle sets to work checking me out and make absolutely sure nothing is wrong. After fifteen minutes he gives me the okay to go down to eat. Just as I'm standing again, Alice goes rigid. She isn't gone long, just a few seconds, but when she comes back, a look of frustration and horror is there.

"What is it Alice?" Carlisle asked.

I heard several vampires growl downstairs.

"I can't see anything." She whispered.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means that some wolves are coming. How long do we have?" Carlisle asked, urgency in his voice.

"Not long. A few minutes at the most."

Everyone is in a frenzy at the point. William and Jamie are carried up to the room, much to William's dismay. I'm sure he wants to meet whoever is coming. Irina, Esme and Carmen are inside the room with us.

"Look who's risen from the dead." Jamie says with a huge grin.

I can see relief poring out of him.

"Love the new do, by the way." He adds.

I roll my eyes at and then, suddenly go into a panic attack. Where are Tanya, Kate and Garrett?

Esme comes up to me and places her hands on my cheeks.

"Tanya is on her way now. We can hear them now." Esme reassures me.

I don't fully calm down until Tanya walks through the door and is by my side.

"Sorry, Love. I tried to hurry but someone made me take my time." She glared at Kate, who only shrugs.

Before I can say anything else, several growls rip through the room. The wolves must be here. I take a step towards the door but Tanya pulls me back to her. All the vampires in the room are rigid and would probably jump as the smallest of movements. When I try for the door again, Tanya pulls my behind her.

"Can someone tell us humans what's going on?" Will growled.

"There are two wolves outside. Edward is relaying what they're saying to Carlisle." Alice answered.

I shake Tanya's hand off and make for the door again. I want to see who's here and to know if they had anything to do with Josie's death. As Tanya grabs my arm again, I wave it off and see everyone stop moving. It seems like they are moving in slow motion. Before I could think anything of it, I open the door and walk out.

By the time I reach the main floor, everyone in the room has unthawed or whatever happened to them and are storming the stairs. I'm outside behind Edward and Emmett on the deck as Carlisle is saying something, I can't hear.

"Nice bit of magic Abby." Edward muttered.

"How'd you do it kid?" Emmett asked, smirking.

"No idea. Didn't know I've done anything." I answered.

Both of them raise their brows.

"Who's here?" I asked diverting the attention back to the two wolves.

"Seth and Leah." Emmett said. He took one look at me and smiled. "Love the hairdo, by the way."

I rolled my eyes and look around him to see two wolves cowering before us. They are about four feet from the steps and whining.

I feel Tanya walk up behind me before she arrived.

"We need to talk about that little incident." She whispered.

I merely shrug.

"They said that they had no knowledge of what Jacob and Embry were doing. They were commanded to stay at the campsite and keep an eye out for anything that might come that way." Edward relayed to Carlisle.

"How do we know they're telling the truth?" Emmett boomed.

"Because they're showing me what happened the day Josiah was shot." Edward stated. "Yes. That was his name." He said to the wolves.

"And, I can feel that they are scared about Jacob and Embry coming back to find that they aren't there. They have nothing to hide from us. If anything, they want our protection." Jasper added.

"What do you think, Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't see why we shouldn't. Maybe they could shed some light about what happened to Jacob and Embry. It could give us a clue as to who's behind the threat to Abby." Edward stated.

"Or…" I started, holding my hand up like we were in class and I'm participating in the discussion, but am shot down by everyone.

"Absolutely not Abby. I'm not letting you do that." Alice shouts.

"Geez! It was just a suggestion."

"Thank you for that, Abby, but I don't want to see you do anything else till you're fully rested and your body has healed." Carlisle replied.

"Now, that this is settled… for now, Leah wants to transform and doesn't want anyone to see her." Edward replied.

"Wait a minute," Emmett shouted, "What about Quil? Where's he in all this?"

"Yeah. Where was he when Josiah was killed?" Jasper added.

"Leah says he was with Jacob and Embry, but, she doesn't think he's really a part of them. He didn't seem all riled up after…wards." Edward relayed.

"So, is he with them or just tagging along?" Emmett asked.

"They're not sure."

"Well..." I started again.

"Abigail Ann! I said NO!" Alice interrupts me.

"Okay. Okay. Geez!" I replied holding my hands up in surrender.

"She sounded like mom there for a moment." Will snickered.

"Lets give them some privacy to transform and then we can talk more once they've changed and had a decent meal" Carlisle said.

"And, Abby needs to eat something. She hasn't had a decent meal in a few days either." Esme adds.

"What! She didn't like the roasted bunny?" Emmett laughed.

I gag at the mere mention of rabbit.

Walking past Will, I see a tick in his jaw. I don't think he believes what Seth and Leah are saying and, probably, won't be satisfied until he sees for himself that they weren't part of Josie's death.

Esme guides me to the kitchen and sits me down at my usual stool. Now, that the original threat is over, I realize that I'm starving. Her and Carmen are zipping around the kitchen gathering food from the pantry and getting the pots and pans ready.

Tanya has me pressed up against her. I think the presence of the wolves have brought out her protective side. Even Alice and Rosalie are standing extremely close to me. When Jamie comes into the kitchen to take a seat next to me, he has to tell Rosalie twice to move before nudging himself between her and Alice to sit.

"So, Chief. I found some interesting stuff working on the family history and I need your help in trying to figure it out." He said without even acknowledging how everyone is feeling.

"Okay. I can take a look at it later." I replied.

Every single vampire in the kitchen freezes and I turn to see that Seth and Leah are walking in, unsure what to do.

"There's plenty of room at the dining room table." Esme suggested, getting back to her cooking. They walk over to the table and sit down.

Tanya squeezes me a little too hard and I grunt. I turn to her and raise a brow.

"Sorry." She whispered.

Carlisle walks in with Edward and both of them with Bella sit at the table with Seth and Leah. I rise and am about to go too, but Tanya pulls on my waist and forces me back down on my stool. Rosalie does the same with Jamie, but he tries to fight her off. The battle of wills between the two is a bit entertaining. Jamie, finally gives in and sits still.

"Now, that everyone is here, could you two please tell us from the start what happened." Carlisle said.

I look around and, indeed, everyone is standing in the kitchen or the outskirts of the dining room waiting to hear what Seth and Leah saw and how they managed to escape.


End file.
